<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>bang bang (my baby shot me down) by anyastasia</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22823428">bang bang (my baby shot me down)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anyastasia/pseuds/anyastasia'>anyastasia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A LOT of Angst, Crossdressing, Gen, Old West, Shootouts, Wild West, Wild West AU, saloon girls oh yeah, the very classic old west experience, tragic backstories babey, trials babey, zelink</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:29:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>25,912</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22823428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anyastasia/pseuds/anyastasia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>the sleepy western town has never seen trouble. with Time as their sheriff and noble Twilight as their deputy, the townsfolk were never perturbed.</p><p>that is until a ragtag gang of bandits starts rustling cattle and pulling off risky bank heists. when a mysterious girl appears in the saloon to hang off of men’s arms and toast with them, Twilight must make the ultimate choice between the good he’s known his entire life...or a certain bandit that could turn his whole world upside down.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sky/Sun, Time/Malon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>193</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. horses made of sticks (1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this fic was a result of my no braincell thoughts mixed with the amazing creativity of my friends over in the poly wild discord. this was from a lw over there!!!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>songs I listened to,,,</p><p>Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) by Nancy Sinatra <br/>Drink The Water by Justin Cross <br/>Pretty Polly by Vandaveer</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Time was </span>
  <em>
    <span>swamped</span>
  </em>
  <span> with work. He dreaded going into his office every morning to face the ominous stacks of papers and complaints from townsfolk. He wanted to let Twilight do some of it, as he knew his protégé was eager to help out around town, but Time was too prideful to let the young deputy know how backwards their little town was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Today was no different than any other. Blisteringly hot, with not a cloud in the sky promising rain. The same old tumbleweeds rolling through the empty streets, the sound of the piano from Hyrule’s tavern barely audible through the creaky door to the sheriff’s department. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time sighed as he squinted down at the next paper. The handwriting was immaculate, perfect cursive in every stroke. Sky, obviously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Another one of my cows has been stolen. I would appreciate it if you could send someone out to see if you can find anything. Sincerely, Sky.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leaning back in his chair, Time rubbed his face in agitation. Every day was a new dilemma with the townsfolk. Stolen cattle, a missing pistol or two, a break-in or a robbery...the bandits surrounding the town seemed to despise the notion of Time having a pleasant day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Footsteps outside of his office made Time look up. Twilight bustled in, setting down a new stack of papers. Time groaned and leaned his head back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight blinked at him, sympathy shining in his blue eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “They just came in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Time grumbled, waving him off. “Sky’s asking if you can go over and check out his ranch. Another cow’s been stolen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight nodded, but hesitated when he saw how beaten down his sheriff looked. He glanced at the papers, and opened his mouth as if to ask to stay and help, but was interrupted by the door banging open and another man stumbling in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time looked up and squinted. The man was obviously not from around these parts — his hair was too blonde, the blue of his suit too saturated. The newcomer threw himself down into the chair across from Time dramatically and set a hand on his forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am in the deepest depths of despair, your honor,” he whined. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, no, this isn’t going to work.” Time grumbled, standing up from his chair. The man peeked out from behind his hand and scrambled to his feet once he saw Time grab his hat from where it hung on a peg by the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” The man cried, rushing past a bewildered Twilight to catch Time on the wrist. “My </span>
  <em>
    <span>train</span>
  </em>
  <span> was </span>
  <em>
    <span>robbed</span>
  </em>
  <span> on the way here and I need ”</span>
  <em>
    <span>help-</span>
  </em>
  <span>“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time shoved him in the direction of Twilight. “Twilight, I’m going to check out Sky’s ranch myself,” he said quickly, grabbing his coat. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Have-fun-with-prissy-boy-bye</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time slammed the door in their faces and slid his hat down over his brow. He kept his head down to avoid getting dust in his eyes. He had some time to kill before he should head over to Sky’s, so he slipped into Hyrule’s tavern for a quick drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was as sparsely populated as ever. The town banker was passed out at a table by the wall, and a young man that Time sometimes saw hanging around the tavern was at the bar, talking to the bartender, Marin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time always thought Marin was too sweet for such a harsh life the west offered. She was dainty where most women out here were full. Her hair still had the shine of one who still found resolve to make it look nice. She always found a way to get nice flowers sent to the tavern, and today she had a lily tucked behind her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time walked up to the bar and sat down heavily, taking off his hat. Marin peeled away from the man she spoke to and immediately prepared the drink she knew by hard - Irish whiskey. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, love,” he mumbled as he took the drink from her and passed her a few measly coins in return. Marin barely even looked at him; she was too engrossed in their conversation she was having with the young patron.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And is there I was, in the middle of a standoff,” the young man was saying. “Me against four other bandits. The only way I was going to get out of it is if I had the faster draw then all of them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marin leaned forward, her dark eyes wider than dinner plates. “What happened?” She whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young man leaned back, smiling. Time side-eyed him curiously; the strange pink streak in his hair was definitely unusual. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I wouldn’t say I have the fastest draw this side of the west, but I had the fastest draw out of the five of us,” he said, chuckling. He took a swig of his drink. “They were all in the dirt before they knew what had hit them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marin laughed and took his empty glass, getting him a refill. Time quickly drained his drink and slid off of the barstool, taking his hat and leaving Marin with her mysterious patron.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Time walked along, he passed the town blacksmith. The ever-present clanging of Four’s hammer against his anvil echoed from inside. Four was a curious enigma - from what Time could gather, he was condemned to life as a blacksmith, who once had dreams of becoming an outlaw or bounty hunter. However whoever he approached to employ him had deemed him “too wayward in the head,” and Time couldn’t argue with them. It seemed Four could only speak in riddles. There were rumors that he was a bounty hunter by night, secretly gathering information, but Time had interrogated him enough to learn that even if he was a bounty hunter, there was no way he was getting an answer out of his impossible riddles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was nearing the gate of town when he heard a voice calling his name. Time turned and saw Sun, the beautiful, blonde haired daughter of the banker, running towards him, her skirts billowing around her ankles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mister Sheriff!” She called, skidding to a stop beside him. She was panting, her cheeks blotchy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time was fond of Sun. She was a sweet girl who never complained. Some nights she was being out her beautiful harp and play alongside Hyrule at the tavern, using her sweet voice to entrance guests. She often helped out at the sheriff’s department, sorting through old papers and helping Time manage money - as a banker’s daughter, she knew her way around numbers when Time did not. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me guess,” Time said, bemused. “You want me to play postman for you and your lover boy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun’s blue eyes widened, and her cheeks got (impossibly) more red, but she smiled when Time let out a rare laugh and took the letter she was already holding out to him. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll make sure it gets to Sky safely.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun beamed. “Thank you, sir!” She chirped, before running off back to her house.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sky and Sun were a curious pair. Sky was everything any girl could dream of - handsome, reliable, respectful. It seemed that Sun and Sky were a match made in heaven. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun’s stubborn father thought otherwise. One of the only wealthy people in the town, he looked down on everyone except for Time. He saw Sky as just a poor farm boy that could never provide enough for Sun to make her happy. He forbade the two of them from seeing one another; but that didn’t stop them from sending flurry after flurry of beautifully written love letters to each other. Time had accidentally stumbled across a few of them at Sky’s house when he was doing his routine checks of the town. He hadn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>meant</span>
  </em>
  <span> to read the letters. They just </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be on the desk and Time just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span> to look at them at the wrong time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time held the letter carefully as he trudged down the dusty road to the entrance of Sky’s ranch. He may make fun of Sky and Sun’s sappy relationship, but Time had his own womanly weakness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She worked all day at Sky’s ranch and came into the tavern at night to have a drink with Marin and Sun. Time could see her working with the horses when he was still a long way off. He felt his knees go weak when he saw how the sun made her hair look like it was on fire. She was lithe, but not skinny like Marin and Sun, who were brought up in posh, comfortable homes. She had the build of a woman who had worked in the blazing hot sun her whole life, hauling things twice her size and getting thrown from horses since she could walk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time, the intimidating, silent sheriff of the town only had one weakness - women.  </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>And namely, Malon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time forced himself to roll his shoulders back and look confident as he approached Malon. She was guiding a small filly around by a lead, clicking her tongue and gently coaxing it with soft words. She saw Time approaching and immediately dropped the lead, running over and hopping up to stand on the fence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Howdy, Time!” She chirped. Her red hair was falling out of its messy ponytail. Time felt his knees go weak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-Hey, Malon,” he stammered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, sweet Hylia, why do I always act like this around women?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You lookin’ for Sky?” Malon asked, grinning. She swung her arm around to point out at the fields. Time spotted Sky trudging back to the house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Out there, over yonder,” Malon said. “Y’know, I was thinkin’, maybe you and I could, well, maybe...have a drink down at Hyrule’s tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time was taken aback. “Me? And you? Together? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alone</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malon laughed. Time felt like he would burst on the spot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You make it seem like a crime!” She cackled. “But, yeah. Just me and you. I’m sure Marin and Sun can make do with just the two of them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’d be great,” Time said softly. He loved the dimples that Malon got whenever she smiled. He never wanted them to go away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Time!” Sky called as he neared. He carried a basket of hay on his hip. Just returning from feeding the cattle, Time predicted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Time greeted him. He handed over the letter from Sun immediately. “Brought this from your princess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sky immediately snatched it from Time’s hand and pressed it to his face, inhaling in the sweet perfume from the paper. “Thank you,” he mumbled, tearing it open and scanning the page. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malon and Time watched Sky read the letter in an awkward silence. As soon as Sky was done he looked up, trying to brush off the fact that just moments before he had been giggling like a schoolgirl, his ears pink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, you came to check out the cattle, right?” Sky asked meekly. “With the bandits and everything?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Time said, shifting his weight. “How many cattle have been stolen so far?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Three,” Malon cut in. She gave Time a knowing look. “We sent you a letter the first time one got stolen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time felt his heart drop into his stomach. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is she going to call off our date? Is it even a date? Does she hate me because of some cows?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malon laughed at his seriousness. A horse had wandered over and was nibbling at the hay in Sky’s basket; neither rancher reacted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lighten up, Time,” Malon said, reaching out and shoving him lightly. Time wanted to melt on the spot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sky, I told Time he could-“ Malon started, but was cut off by a warning bell that echoed down from town. Every nerve in Time’s body was alert. That bell only rang when bandits were attacking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time cleared the fence in one bound without thinking. He barely even had time to say “Do you mind?” as he swung himself up onto the horse that had previously been eating the hay. He was lucky that it was wearing a saddle and bridle; Malon must have been using it earlier. He dusted off the fact that </span>
  <em>
    <span>he was sitting on Malon’s horse oh my goodness</span>
  </em>
  <span> and snapped the reins, and the horse took off towards the entrance of the ranch. Sky yelled something about horses in his wake, but Time didn’t hear. Only one thought went on repeat in his brain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I left Twilight there alone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time swung down off his horse at the front of the sheriff’s department and burst inside. He was full of panic when he didn’t see Twilight snuggled up in his chair with all his unnecessary furs like he usually was. He barreled into the back room and felt thirty pounds lift off his shoulders when he saw his deputy rummaging through a chest of old guns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank Hylia you’re safe,” Time murmured, and then immediately turned and ran back out the door. Twilight was a moment behind him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Townsfolk were running for cover, some yelling and screaming, others with guns and looking for the threat.  Sun was pulling her still-drunk father towards their house, her face twisted with fear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Twilight, help Sun,” Time ordered. Twilight didn’t need to be told twice; he raced across the sand and helped Sun lug the man onto his porch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time could tell exactly where the alarm had been raised - the bank. His hand was in his pistol as he approached, staring up at the doors from under the brim of his hat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It only took a moment for the first bandit to emerge, and Time was shocked to see that he had Marin tight in his grasp. One hand was wrapped around her throat, shoving her out of the doors, the other clutching a pistol that was buried in her hair. She was a sobbing mess, shaking and begging this bandit to let her go. The bandit himself had a bandana wrapped around his face; Time had no way of recognizing him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take one more step, and I’ll blow her pretty little brains out,” The bandit hissed. Time stopped dead in his tracks, his hand still on his revolver. The bandit shoved Marin to the side as five more bandits spilled out from the bank, all clutching a bag overflowing with gold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time immediately recognized one as the leader. He had seen him multiple times, at multiple different robberies. Always the same long blonde hair and blue attire. It seemed to be his trademark, but Time had never seen his face. It was always wrapped in some sort of intricate veil. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His two closest companions were the most curious part. One was a young woman, no older than the lead bandit himself. She had long blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and that same lithe, willowy frame that was not meant for the harsh life of the west. She held a small pistol and a bag of gold. The second companion was the most curious - a Zora, of all creatures, most likely miserable in this heat. He was the only one without a bandana, and honestly, even if he had had a bandana on, there was no way he was hiding.  He was at least seven feet tall if not more, with a huge gun on his hip and the biggest bag of gold sling over his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two other bandits appeared to be children - a boy and a girl. Both blonde and lanky, with the build of children who had slipped into crowds and cut purses when they were younger. But now they had dusty bandanas around their faces and a hungry look in their eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, sir, but me and my posse will be on our way,” the lead bandit crowed. Time hates how smug and cocky he was, and how he held himself. He wanted to rip his bandana right off his face and punch him hard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Footsteps came from behind Time as Twilight returned, along with Sky and Malon, who had hightailed it after him from the ranch. Malon had her rifle - </span>
  <em>
    <span>STOP THINKING ABOUT PRETTY LADIES WITH GUNS OH MY LORD </span>
  </em>
  <span>Time screamed at himself - and Sky had one hand resting gently on his gun holster. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You let us go, and we’ll release the pretty little bartender,” The bandit said, pointing with his gun at Marin, who was still in the other bandit’s grasp. “We’ll take her with us for a little while and then send her back. Shoot one of us and she’s dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time weighed his options. There was no way to communicate a plan with Twilight, Sky and Malon. He could shoot the bandit that held Marin, but that still left five others with guns...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Time noticed it. A streak of the bandit’s hair that held Marin...it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>pink</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time grinned and looked back at the lead bandit. “Fine. Shoot her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit’s arm went slack. “What?” He said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Time</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Malon cried. “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time shifted his gaze to the bandit that held Marin. “Shoot her. I want to watch you do it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit’s - or, Marin’s patron from the tavern earlier - eyes went wide. Time ask noticed that his finger was nowhere near the trigger of the pistol, and he was holding it as lightly as he could. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- Um-“ he stammered, shifting. He glanced between Time and the other bandit. “I don’t-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You heard him,” the lead bandit said briskly, but Time could tell he was on edge. “Shoot her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit looked even more torn. “But she’s-“ he began. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just shoot her!” The bandit roared.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the space of a moment Sky lifted his gun from its holster and shot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time had always heard about </span>
  <em>
    <span>the fastest draw in the west.</span>
  </em>
  <span> There had been rumors about who had it - some said that a certain bandit had it, some said Twilight or Time themselves. But most people said that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sky</span>
  </em>
  <span> had the fastest draw. Time had scoffed at the notion. The slow, sleepy rancher who hadn’t seen action a day in his life? With the fabled </span>
  <em>
    <span>fastest draw?</span>
  </em>
  <span> It was nonsense. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time was proved wrong. Terribly. Time didn’t even see his hand move. Suddenly his gun was in his hand and there was a bullet in the lead bandit’s leg.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit shrieked in pain and dropped his gun and his gold. The Zora, roaring with anger, swept him up with one hand while the young woman opened fire. Time, Twilight, Sky and Malon scattered, diving behind any cover they could find. The pink-haired bandit shoved Marin away - a very light shove, Time noticed - and bounded after the rest of the bandits as they made a break for a group of horses gathered behind the bank. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Twilight-“ Time called.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight didn’t even have to be told. They had run through these drills and let bandits slip through their fingers too many times. Twilight had always been the fastest, and this moment was his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sprinting forward, he deftly caught the young boy’s shirt between his fingers and wrestled the squirming bandit to the ground. One knee on his upper back, his large hand pressing the boy’s face into the sand, he used his lightning quick cattle roping skills to tie the boy up and leave him screaming profanities  in the dust. The young girl glanced back and tried to run to him, but the young woman grabbed her and yanked her along as they reached their horses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time stood and watched the ragtag group gallop off into the dusty expanse. They had taken a good amount of gold - but not all of it. </span><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>They had succeeded. They had caught a bandit, and wounded one too. They were on their trail.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. two graves for us, my dear (2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>songs I listened to:<br/>Revenge - XXXTENTACION</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Twilight watched Time leave the office, his mouth going dry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glanced over his shoulder at the man in the blue waistcoat. He looked much too rich to be all the way out here, in this grubby little town. His hair was disheveled but still well-kept. His waistcoat didn’t have a single speck of dirt on it. An expensive looking pocket-watch and chain peeked out of his breast pocket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The newcomer looked at Twilight in curiosity. “Are you the deputy?” he asked. His voice was high, with a peculiar accent that told Twilight he wasn’t from around these parts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, yeah,” Twilight said. He wasn’t good with this part of his job - talking to new people.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man sank back down into the chair and hung his head back. “I’m in need of some assistance,” he announced. “Since your sheriff is busy, I assume I can trust you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you done torturing these poor people?’ A voice came from behind Twilight. He turned to see a young woman, looking a lot like Sun. Her blonde hair was braided down her back, and her severe blue eyes seemed to cut straight through Twilight. Light pink and lavender skirts swished around her ankles as she snapped her parasol shut, grasping the handle with dainty, gloved hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sun is going to literally die once she sees this girl’s dress</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Twilight thought. He didn’t know what to say to the girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young man looked up at the young woman, surprised. “Oh,” he said softly. “I wasn’t expecting you to come in.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl narrowed her eyes. “It’s hot as blazes outside,” she retorted. “This flimsy thing you bought me is doing nothing to help this heat.” To prove her point, she tossed the parasol forcefully into the door. Twilight winced.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, why don’t you have a seat, ma’am?” Twilight said. He reached over and pulled another chair up beside the man. It didn’t feel right sitting in Time’s chair, so he opted to stand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl sank down into the chair and stripped off her gloves. She and her companion shared a withering glance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Mr Smith here mentioned that your train was robbed,” Twilight began.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” The man exploded. His blue eyes blazed. “They stopped the damn thing with </span>
  <em>
    <span>dynamite</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Artemis and I barely escaped with our lives! There was fire everywhere! Screaming people! We were the only survivors!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the way the pair were dressed and the fact that neither of them looked thoroughly ruffled, Twilight found sense to doubt the man’s exaggeration. “May I have your names, sir?” Twilight asked meekly, reaching for a pen and paper on Time’s desk. He knew the last thing his sheriff wanted was more paperwork, but it seemed like he might want information about the pair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name is Warriors,” the man said. “I’m a lawyer from Castle Town.” He glanced over at the young woman and immediately ducked his head. “This is my fiance...Artemis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twilight was no detective, but he could sense the unhappiness in his voice and in Artemis’s expression. He jotted down the names and then stood back up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You came in on the Goron Train Service, yes?” Twilight queried. With Warrior’s nod as a confirmation, he sighed, rapping the desk with his knuckles. “Well, that train only runs through here about once a month. And with that holdup, it might take them longer to get it going.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A </span>
  <em>
    <span>month?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Warriors cried. “But we have to get to Tarrey Town! My father’s investing in a large piece of land and he asked me to go inspect it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Artemis didn’t speak, but Twilight could tell she felt the same.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Twilight said. “That’s the reason we don’t get too many visitors. The bandits out here are ruthless.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We must find a way to get out of here,” Warriors seethed. “How does your mail get here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mail?” Twilight stared at Warriors blankly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have a Pony Express stop here?” Warriors cried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The look on Twilight’s face told the lawyer everything. He groaned and flopped dramatically onto the desk. Artemis pursed her lips in disapproval and turned away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Twilight said. “I can try to see if I can arrange a station wagon-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The loud clanging of a bell startled all three of them. Twilight immediately recognized it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The alarm</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Springing up from his chair, Twilight dashed to the room across the hall. He threw open the chest that held all of their weapons, and pawed through it, searching for his gun. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Warriors cried. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lock yourselves in that office!” Twilight shouted. “Don’t come out until I come back!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The front door banged open as Time stormed in, looking flustered. “Thank Hylia,” he muttered as Twilight stood, a rifle clutched in his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pair rushed out to the bank. Twilight spied Sun struggling to heave her still drunken father across the main street.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go help Sun,” Time ordered. Twilight didn’t think twice before he ran across the sand and helped Sun lug her father over to the nearest porch, settling him in a chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s at the bank?” Sun asked worriedly, but Twilight was already running back to Time’s side. He clutched his rifle tighter as the first bandit emerged with Marin in his grasp. The other five bandits walked out, smugness cloaking them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight scanned their attire quickly. Bandanas over every face. A sack of gold over each shoulder and a gun in hand. The head bandit caught his eye - long blonde hair, with piercing blue eyes barely visible over his blue bandana. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight zoned the bandit’s voice out. He was completely focused on Marin in the bandit’s grasp. He had his gun ready at any moment, if the bandit accidentally shoved Marin off the porch, he could blow his head off at a moments notice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His reverie was broken as the bang from Sky’s pistol ripped through the dry western air. He saw the blonde bandit stumble, blood blooming from a wound in his leg. The Zora caught him and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight lunges to the side as the other three bandits opened fire. He crawled behind a pile of hay, and felt bullets whizz by his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard Time’s call, and peeked his head out from around the hay. The bandits were making for their horses behind the bank - and running right by Twilight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a desperate lunge, Twilight reached out and caught the smallest bandit - a little boy, no older than thirteen - and wrestled him to the ground. He pulled the pigging string from his belt and made quick work of the tie down rope - he could do it in his sleep if he wanted to. Soon enough, the boy was spitting mad, rocking back and forth and struggling against his bonds. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stood, chest heaving as he watched the rest of the bandits gallop away. He kept one foot on the bandit’s back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good job, pup,” Time said, coming up and clapping him on the shoulder. He leaned down and grabbed the bandit by the ropes, hauling him to his feet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me go!” The bandit screamed, trying to kick Time with his one free leg. Time held him an inch off the ground, frowning at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get this nuisance to the jailhouse,” Time said. “We can interrogate him later, when he’s hungry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My friends will be back, you bastard!” The bandit shrieked as Time dragged him away. Twilight hurried after, well out of the range of the bandit’s leg. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>A few hours later, Twilight and Time plodded down the stairs into the jailhouse. It was a dark place, with the only light coming from a small window at the end of the cramped stone hallway. It was one of the most unpopulated buildings in the town, which meant it was barely kept up - water dripped down from the stone ceiling, and there was the squeak of mice and rats in the walls. Twilight wrinkled his nose at the smell of mildew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit was in the second cell, irons still clamped around his wrists. He was curled up on the pile of damp hay in the back corner, furthest away from the light. He glared at Time and Twilight darkly from behind his scraggly bangs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can make this easy,” Time began. Twilight noticed how he kept one hand threateningly on his pistol. “Or you can make this hard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit’s eyes fell on the pistol and then went back up to Time’s face. He bared his teeth like a rabid animal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t talk,” he spat. “I won’t tell you where our camp is. I won’t tell you anything. You can kill me if you want to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re not going to kill you, kid,” Time sighed. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “Here’s what we’ll do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time pulled a piece of cornbread out from his pocket. The hungry light Twilight had seen earlier flashed in the bandit’s eyes. He seemed to perk up at the sight of the food. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time held up the bread. “You give us information, and I’ll give you food. That’s the deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit glowered. “What kind of information?” He asked after a pause. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time lowered the bread. “Names. Locations. Future plans.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit cast a long look at the bread before he averted his eyes to stare at the hay underneath him. “My name is Jack,” he mumbled finally. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wrong answer,” Time growled. “That’s your cover-up name. You can’t fool me.” Time shoved the piece of cornbread into Twilight’s hand. “Go throw that to the rats. We’ll come back tomorrow to see if he’s still alive.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait!” The bandit cried as Time turned to leave. Twilight clutched the cornbread tightly in his hands. He felt small crumbs fall to the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time stopped, glancing over his shoulder. He didn’t say anything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit’s little chest was moving up and down rapidly. Twilight figured that he hadn’t eaten well in months - perhaps little crumbs of stolen food here and there. The small loaf of cornbread - barely bigger than Twilight’s palm - seemed like a feast to the boy. He would most likely be delirious and unresponsive by the next evening if he wasn’t fed. The bandit’s were probably planning on going to a neighboring town and spending the stolen gold on food. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy swallowed thickly. “My name-“ he choked. “My name is Wind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time glanced at Twilight. A small smile broke his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now we’re getting somewhere,” he mused. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this ended up being shorter than I thought it would be but the next chapter should make up for it 🤗 a huge thank you to all the amazing support on the first chapter, you guys are so awesome!!!! and as always the biggest thanks to the folks on the Wild West au discord, y’all are the real ogs</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. hear them say, burn the witch (3)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>songs I listened to while writing:<br/>Burn the Witch - Shawn James<br/>Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A week. A week without any progress with Wind. Twilight had tried to stay interested and tried to help Time, but he could tell the sheriff was getting frustrated. Wind would give them the tiniest scraps of information - the description of a rock formation near their camp. The fact that one of the bandits had a sister. Time would get frustrated and leave, and Twilight would toss the boy a scrap of food and hurry after the sheriff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should just kill him,” Time mused one day. They sat in Time’s office after their second attempted interrogation of the day. Twilight was wrapped in one of his furs, even though it was as hot as ever outside. The furs miraculously never seemed to lose their homey smell - pines, maple syrup, and the scent of wet dog that anyone else would have found disgusting. But Twilight slept with many of these pelts and carried them with him wherever he went. He always had one of them draped over his shoulders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight glanced up at Time. He knew Time didn’t like the notion of a public execution. It meant a lot of preparation and even more paperwork, and it would also mean summoning the executioner from where he roamed in the outskirts of the region…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time had a fist pressed to his mouth. He was deep in thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know you don’t want to go through with an execution,” Twilight said. “That would mean bringing F-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know what a public execution means for me and my position,” Time snapped. He ran his hand through his hair. “I know what it would mean for the town. The people here speculate that I’ve been holding off on capturing the bandits just so we don’t have to summon...him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight nearly cringed at the near mention of his name. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wind’s too stubborn to give us answers at gunpoint,” Time grumbled. “He’d die before he tells us anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight silently agreed, staring down at his hands. They carded through the soft wolf pelt in his lap, and he closed his eyes, pretending it was one of his hunting hounds. Time never let him bring them into the sheriff’s department, but Sky often let the dogs spend the day at the ranch. Supposedly they were excellent herding dogs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We would have to capture another bandit and threaten that one to make him talk,” Time concluded. “But who knows when they’ll show up again. They most likely won’t try anything with Wind’s life on the line.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight silently agreed. He stifled a yawn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time reached over the desk and squeezed Twilight's hand. “You go home,” he said tiredly. “I can tell you’re tired. We’ll try again with Wind in the morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight stood and walked out of the office, sighing deeply. He took his coat and hat as he left the building.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun was dipping below the mountains in the distance, the sky bleeding pink and orange and casting a golden glow across the ground. Twilight squinted against the sun, tipping his hat down below his brow to cast a shadow across his eyes. He made his way over to the large house at the end of the row - the one his parents left behind for him when they passed away. Twilight had grown up in the city for most of his life, in a boy’s boarding school, to save his parents money as they traveled across the new frontier looking for work. They perished from scarlet fever when Twilight was just twelve. As soon as he was old enough, Twilight came here, to Hyrule Town, to follow in his parents footsteps and find a living in the desolate west.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pushed open the door and hung up his coat and his hat. Sky had already delivered his dogs back - four of them, three sweet boys and a girl. Twilight scratched Ganymede behind the ears, stroked Callisto down his sleek back, gave Europa a belly rub, and tossed Io a scrap of turkey he had saved from lunch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight trudged up the stairs to his room and threw open the door. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he saw his messy, unmade bed, practically begging him to collapse and pass out. Twilight just about managed to kick off his boots, unbutton his vest and grubby, wrinkled shirt, throw them to the floor, and crawl under the covers before he fell asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>It was raining fire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight woke to the ground shaking and a stifling heat wrapping him, turning his skin slick with sweat. He threw back his sticky covers and barely stopped to grab his boots before he was vaulting down the stairs, grabbing his twin revolvers, and bursting out of the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ember and ash fell like snow. Twilight’s mouth fell open with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pop </span>
  </em>
  <span>as he saw the flames clawing at the sky, belching dark smoke from the burning jailhouse into the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An explosion shook the ground as fire bloomed across the wooden roof of the jailhouse. Twilight stumbled and caught himself on the wooden post of the porch. His head was spinning with shock, and he couldn’t think.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hylia, goddammit!” Time’s voice roared over the ringing in Twilight’s ears. He blinked wearily, banishing the blurriness from his vision.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Time stood in the middle of the street, looking disheveled. He wore no coat, just his trousers and a loose cotton shirt. His hair was mussed and his face was still puffy with sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do we do?” Twilight blurted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Make sure that damned bandit doesn’t get out!” Time ordered, making a break for the jailhouse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight began to follow, before he saw a dark figure appear from around the corner of the jailhouse. They had a stick of flaming dynamite in one hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time!” Twilight shouted, rushing forward and grabbing Time around the waist. He gritted his teeth with the effort and threw all of their weight to one side. The dynamite sailed past the place where Twilight had been moments earlier and landed on the ground. The explosion blew Time and Twilight forward, straight into the person who threw the dynamite. Twilight and the perpetrator tumbled over each other, Twilight grabbing their arms and wrestling them to the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the light from the fire, Twilight stared straight into the green eyes of the female bandit. The blonde one, the one that had fired first when Sky had shot the leader. The Desert Flower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re here for Wind!” Twilight gasped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Desert Flower growled at Twilight dangerously and slashed at him with long nails. Twilight felt her draw blood, three long red marks streaked across his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gunshots ripped through the air and Twilight ducked, scrambling off of the Desert Flower and over by the wall of the jailhouse, trying to get out of range of the shooter from the roof. The girl scrambled to her feet and disappeared around the side of the wall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a loud whinny of a horse and Twilight’s head snapped around. Sky vaulted off of his horse, his pistol already in his hand. He looked about as disheveled as Time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are they?” He blurted drowsily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if to answer his question, the huge Zora plummeted onto Sky from the roof, screeching. Sky was flattened to the ground, all the air knocked out of him. Twilight winced as he heard several of Sky’s ribs snap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sky gritted his teeth against the pain and shoved his pistol in the general direction of the Zora - Twilight had heard Wind call him the Prince of Thieves. They tussled on the ground, rolling and kicking, until a gunshot ripped through the air and the Zora howled in pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Figuring that Sky could hold his own just fine, Twilight edged around the side of the building, trying to reach the ladder to the roof at the back. As he slid around the corner, he found himself face to face with the other girl bandit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her dark eyes were wide as she stared back at Twilight. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She looks like Wind’s twin, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Twilight realized. She had a pistol in her hand, but Twilight couldn’t stop himself as he reached out and grabbed her by the front of her shirt. She squealed and dropped her pistol, grabbing Twilight’s wrist instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you know what’s good for you, get out of here, kid,” Twilight said. “I don’t care if you want to stay with these bandits, but get out of this town. It’s for your own good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl suddenly bared her teeth. “You have my brother!” She shrieked. She slapped Twilight hard across the face and snatched up her pistol again. Twilight lunged out and grabbed it, and they played a game of tug-of-war for the gun for a good twenty seconds before it popped free and into Twilight’s hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It felt wrong pointing the gun at the girl, but Twilight did it anyways. “Get out of here, kid!” He yelled. “You’re going to get yourself killed!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll get Wind out!” She shouted, her eyes glittering with hate. “We won’t stop coming back until he’s free!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl turned and scampered off into the night. Twilight dropped the pistol and stomped on it, breaking the little gun in two. He swung himself up onto the ladder - the backside of the jailhouse had not yet caught fire - and hoisted himself up, taking the rungs by three. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight pulled himself up onto the roof and immediately felt the sweltering heat of the fire. He slowly stood up, putting his hands out for balance. The wooden roof of the jailhouse was crumbling, and the fire was steadily spreading towards him. The only seemingly solid surface was a big wooden beam in the middle, which was sturdy and reinforced enough that it would take a lot to fall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight squinted through the flames. He could just barely make out the figure standing on the far side of the beam, engulfed in flames but not worried in the least. He dropped sticks of dynamite almost lovingly into the heart of the jailhouse, steadily chipping away at the cobblestone floors that separated the ground floor from the underground cells. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Burning Bandit. The most feared outlaw in the Gerudo Plains. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit slowly looked up at Twilight. His hair was down, whispering around his shoulders and looking like it itself was on fire - oranges and yellows danced in the golden locks. His piercing blue eyes were like shards of ice among the warm flames. He carried a pack of dynamite in the crook of his elbow and had a pistol at his hip. A blue bandana, caked with soot, cloaked his nose and mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Burning Bandit’s eyes narrowed in what Twilight assumed was a smile. “Come to treat me to a gun show before you die?” He challenged. Twilight glanced down sheepishly at his bare chest before drawing his twin revolvers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is the end of the line for you,” Twilight shouted over the roar of the flames. He cocked the revolvers. “You’ll never terrorize this town again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit laughed and held up the pack of dynamite. “You shoot me, I drop this, and everyone here goes up in flames,” he said. “Your whole town, really. The wood here is awfully dry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s chest heaved, sucking in a lungful of smoke. His throat felt scratchy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smirking, the bandit dropped another stick into the jailhouse. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>boom</span>
  </em>
  <span> shook the whole structure, making Twilight stumble a little. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Scared of a little fire?” The Burning Bandit mocked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not at all,” Twilight growled, and jumped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sailed over a patch of smoldering wood and landed cleanly on the narrow beam. He shot out a hand and grabbed one end of the dynamite pack, balancing precariously on the narrow piece of wood. The Burning Bandit growled and grabbed his end of the back with both hands, grappling for a hold. They yanked the pack back and forth for a few moments before Twilight seized the pack with one final heave that made him fall back onto his rear, a little surprised that he had managed to grab the dynamite. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Burning Bandit was already lunging for the pack. Twilight heaved the pack over the side of the building, sending it tumbling harmlessly off the roof. He hoped that none of the bandits found it and tossed it into the jailhouse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You bastard!” The Burning Bandit yelled, lunging at Twilight. Twilight caught him and they tussled on the narrow beam, exchanging punches and each one trying to scramble to his feet, only for the other to pull him back down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally Twilight pinned the bandit with his knee, his head hanging off the beam and his blonde hair hanging down over the flames. His bandana somehow stayed in place. The rest of the roof had burned long ago, and now the flames were licking hungrily at the beam where they perched. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll give you one chance to surrender,” Twilight panted. The bandit had left a mess of bruises and bloody scratches across Twilight’s chest. Every wound stung from the smoke and the heat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit glared at Twilight over his bandana. “Never,” he spat. “Not until you give us Wind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight pushed his knee deeper into the bandit’s chest. “Surrender,” he wheezed. The smoke was beginning to affect his lungs. “Surrender, and I’ll let you go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The beam underneath them groaned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit glanced down, obviously aware his time to make a decision was short. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give us Wind, and we’ll leave,” The bandit said. “We’ll never come back.” Twilight felt his heartbeat speed up below his knee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight held his shirt tighter. “Letting you leave alive is a mercy in itself,” he hissed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The beam groaned again, and Twilight felt it jolt as its supports began to crumble. Twilight shook the bandit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just surrender!” He cried. “I don’t want to kill you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Burning Bandit’s icy eyes glittered. “I’ll never let you get the chance to see me again,” he snarled. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a heave, the bandit pushed upwards and then slammed himself back down into the beam. Underneath the weight of the two men, the beam buckled, and both men were sent tumbling down into the fiery depths of the jailhouse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight fell directly onto a pile of burning hay. He screamed and scrambled off of it, brushing flames off of his trousers. He threw an elbow across his nose and mouth, coughing and stumbling to his knees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked up through blurry vision to see the Burning Bandit lying not too far away, also wheezing and coughing. His bandana lay a few feet away. Through the smoke, Twilight could see his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His left side was marred with countless scars, twisting his ear into a misshapen lump and dragging the left side of his mouth down. Most looked like gunpowder or burn scars, though Twilight saw one that looked suspiciously like a claw mark down his jawline onto his neck. He was covered in bruises, mostly on his neck and jawline. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The flames parted as the Zora stumbled in. He was bleeding from two gunshots in his shoulder, courtesy of Sky. The Zora wheezed as he stooped down and picked up the Burning Bandit as if he was a child, and carried him out of the smoldering building. The Prince of Thieves glanced back at Twilight, and then rammed his good shoulder into the doorframe. A smoldering beam fell from the ceiling and plummeted down onto Twilight’s legs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It felt like being branded. Twilight screamed, a long, painful, antagonizing scream. This was worse than any burn he had received in his life. The beam ate through his trousers easily and burned the backs of his thighs and his knees. Twilight keeled in pain, his vision going blurry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Zora disappeared with the Burning Bandit, leaving Twilight alone in the burning jailhouse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The smoke and the pain from the fire was too much for Twilight. He was pinned down, with no way of getting out of the burning building. They had probably already escaped with Wind and were long gone. Twilight had failed. Once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight let his head fall against the boiling stone floor, not caring if he burned his cheek. He closed his eyes, his brain already fuzzy. He was ready to succumb to his fiery fate. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“...ome on, pup. Don’t give up on me now. Come on, Twilight. You’re strong. Come on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight wheezed and coughed, his whole body shaking with coughs. He was sprawled in someone’s lap, across their legs, his head supported by their strong arms. He slowly peeled his eyes open, feeling the horrible ache of a burn on his cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time’s worried face peered down at him. However, it changed to an expression of relief once he saw Twilight was responsive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank Hylia,” the old man whispered, hugging Twilight to his chest. Twilight yelped into Time’s shoulder, feeling the cruel sting of his burn against Time’s rough shirt. But Time pulled away, and Twilight was surprised to see tears sparkling in the sheriff’s eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought I lost you, kid,” he said. “When we went back in to look for you, you wouldn’t wake up. You were in so much pain from those burns…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘We?’” Twilight repeated weakly. His lungs still felt like they had been scraped out with sandpaper. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another face popped into his peripheral vision. Blonde hair cut at the chin, a grubby green bandana smeared with grease at his brow. Four, the local blacksmith. And the local street preacher. The man was crazy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fire destroys, but also brings good health,” the blacksmith concluded, patting Twilight’s arm in a reassuring way that didn’t reassure Twilight at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did Wind get out?” Twilight asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time shook his head. “By some miracle, they couldn’t even get down to the cells. We got lucky. They may come back again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight sat up, the wounds on his chest stinging in protest. They had been bandaged, but they still hurt when we moved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’s Sky?” He asked, remembering the scuffle the rancher had had with the Zora. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’ll be alright,” Time grumbled. “Took quite a beating. Broke a few ribs and got shot to boot. Sun’s taking care of him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sheesh,” Twilight muttered, gritting his teeth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time helped Twilight stumble to his feet. “Let’s get you home, pup,” Time said. “You can have the day off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>A week later, Twilight walked into the saloon. It was past noon, the sun beating down with its hottest rays. He had been taking it easy all week, Time only giving him little jobs here and there if he asked. He had burns all over his hands, which made it near impossible to do anything, and the wounds in his chest and the burn on his cheek were still healing. He hadn’t been by Hyrule’s since the fire, and he needed a drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight took two steps into the room and stopped dead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A girl sat on the bar. Sunflower hair was pinned up loosely against her skull, large, elaborate feathers poking out. She wore a long, loose blue dress, lace brushing her calves. She waved a fan lazily in front of her face, feathers brushing her nose. A delicate blue sash covered the bottom half of her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight felt his stomach do a lazy turn. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Who is </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>that</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl’s gaze floated lazily over to Twilight. Her eyes were crystal clear blue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes narrowed into a smile behind her scarf. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marin set down a drink on the bar next to the girl. “Got your bourbon, Twi!” She called. Twilight jolted out of his dissociation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“T-Thanks, Marin,” he stammered, walking over and sitting down on a barstool. He tried not to look at the girl sitting next to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He felt the breeze from the girl’s fan. “Marin tells me you’re the deputy,” she said. Her voice was high and lilting, like a songbird. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight nodded into his drink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boards of the countertop creaked as she leaned a little closer. “I heard about that fire at the jailhouse last week,” she said. “Sounded mighty terrifying. And you were there, right? Them there burns look horrid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight glanced over, rubbing the burn on his cheek self consciously. “Yeah,” he said softly. “The bandits sure are relentless.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl’s blue eyes widened. “Bandits?” She gasped. “You have bandits round these parts?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m assuming you just got here, or else you would’ve heard of them by now,” Twilight said. “What’s your name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl drew back, mischief glinting in her eyes. “That’s a mighty deep question, sir,” she said playfully. “Maybe next time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight found himself smirking into his drink, and the girl was smiling behind her scarf and her fan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Marin, start up a tab for me and the lady,” he ordered. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>GO STUPID WOAHDIAJNDJABDJJQBDJAHFHOQBDJSJDJ GO CRAZY DJWBDJSBNWJDBSISJDKANFJSBD AKDIF</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. because your love, your love, your love is my drug (4)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>fluffy times at the saloon.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>songs I listened to while writing-</p>
<p>Poker Face by Lady Gaga<br/>Your Love Is My Drug by Ke$ha<br/>We R Who We R by Ke$ha<br/>C’mon by Ke$ha</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t do it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight clutched the tiny, sharp projectile in his hand. He stared Warriors down from the other side of the saloon. The heir had a smug smile twisted onto his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hands grasped Twilight’s shoulders. “Don’t hurt him,” the saloon girl pleaded. “He’s just teasing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I’ll show him up, all right,” Twilight said, rearing the sharp metal object back. Warriors’ eyes widened, and his mouth opened in shock.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The saloon girl gasped as Twilight threw the projectile heavily from his grasp, and it whistled across the room -</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The dart stopped snugly in the soft felt of the dartboard, trembling a little with the force of the throw.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The saloon girl cheered and hopped up and down, and as did the rest of the saloon. Warriors rolled his eyes glumly and tossed a small sack of coins at Twilight.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You win this time,” he said snidely.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve won every game you’ve betted me on,” Twilight teased, pocketing the money. “Maybe you should just stop trying.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors scoffed. “Never!” He growled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight just laughed and sat back down into his chair. The saloon girl sat down on the table, swinging her legs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you ever going to tell me your name, sweetheart?” Twilight asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl smiled mischievously over her veil. “Maybe,” she said. “When I trust you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been coming here every day since I met you!” Twilight protested. “I’m the one person you know the best. You can trust me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The saloon girl stared off across the saloon, and Twilight followed her gaze. She was staring over at Sky and Sun, who were dancing happily by the piano, where Hyrule was gleefully tapping out a song. Sky was fully healed from the fire, and easily lifted Sun off the floor as they twirled. Sun threw her head back in laughter, her hair flying out around her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight looked back at the girl, a little startled to see her staring down at him. “What?” she prompted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight smiled. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been around a person that had made him </span>
  <em>
    <span>this happy.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He always had a smile on around her, whether it be from laughing or a mischievous one, and he felt like there could never be a bad moment around her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Their moment was interrupted by Four clambering up onto the counter and raising his glass of alcohol above his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! Where’d you get that?!” Marin exclaimed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hylia is coming for you all!” Four slurred. He stumbled slightly. He jerked his head to get hair out of his eyes. “The day of reckoning is </span>
  <em>
    <span>coming!</span>
  </em>
  <span> It’s coming for you, and you won’t be ready for it!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s enough,” Marin chided, reaching up and trying to grab the glass from his hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t believe me!” Four shouted loudly. Hyrule had stopped playing, and was staring at Four with wide eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve had enough to drink!” Marin said stoutly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Your demise comes in the form of innocence!” Four drawled. He wobbled, obviously woozy from the intake of alcohol. “It comes veiled in beauty! Be on your guard!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s enough, kid,” Time chided. He reached up from where he was sitting at the bar, grasped Four by the back of his shirt, and tugged him down off of the countertop. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight smirked. He had been prodding Time to ask Malon out, ever since their previous possible date night was ruined by Wind being captured. Time had been so busy with interrogating Wind and helping the wounded recover from the jailbreak attempt that he and Malon had only spoken to each other in passing. At last, one day, Malon was stopping by the sheriff's department to drop off some papers, and Twilight had nudged Time with his elbow. Time had acted like a mouse cornered by a cat as he stammered out a request to buy Malon a few drinks at the saloon. Malon had happily accepted, and Time had seemed a little more upbeat ever since. Even now, Twilight could see that he was happy beyond his flushed cheeks and woozy attitude. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four stumbled off to the side, and Marin marched over, scolding him like a child. She dragged him off to a back room, most likely to keep him in one spot until she wasn’t so busy and could drag him home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight smiled fondly at the random chaos around the place. It was so backwards, but it was home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looked back to see the saloon girl still staring at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You love this place, don’t you?” She mused. Her voice was muted. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight nodded. “Ever since my parents passed when I was young, this town was all I had,” he said softly. “Time practically raised me. I was brought up alongside half the men here; they’re my family.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl averted her eyes down to her feet. “I had a family once,” she recalled. “And I know what it’s like to love them like that. I understand. You just want what’s best for your family.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight cast his eyes downward, nodding slightly. “Yeah. Whatever it takes for them to be safe and happy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The saloon girl shifted. “Whatever it takes,” she echoed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight felt the conversation begin to dwindle down into self-pity, so he turned and waved at Marin. “Another round of drinks!” He called. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This prompted a giggle from the girl. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Another?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She asked. “At this rate, I’ll be wakin’ up at supper tomorrow.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you know what they say,” Twilight chided as Marin brought over their drinks. “Saturday’s for recovery, and Sunday’s for repentance.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl laughed wholeheartedly and sipped her drink. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if you can’t tell me what your name is, at least tell me a little about yourself,” Twilight offered, taking a long swig of his whiskey. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl smiled. “Well, I have a little sister,” she said. “A feisty lil’ thing. Wanted to follow me here, but Momma wouldn’t let her.” She gazed around the saloon over the top of her drink. “I once posed as a man so I could vote.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, so are we spilling secrets now, are we?” Twilight smirked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl winked over her glass. “Your turn.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight leaned on the table. “Let’s see. I got left at the altar.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl’s eyes widened. “A man like </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Gettin’ left at the altar? Bullshit.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight let out a hearty laugh that felt good to get out. “Sad but true. Your turn.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl thought for a moment. “Hm. I’ve run away from home before.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight took a drink. He could feel the buzz starting to form. “I’d believe it. Uh, let’s see. Apparently I have a stable of horses to my name somewhere down south.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A whole stable?” The girl asked, looking surprised. “What’s it called?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ordona Stables,” Twilight said wistfully. “Apparently if I go, there’s a fortune in racehorses waiting for me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s stoppin’ you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight glanced around at the saloon. The girl didn’t reply. She obviously had her answer. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re an interestin’ character, Twi,” the girl said after a long pause. She knocked back the rest of her drink and then set it down. “It’s a wonder you haven’t found a lady here yet.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight’s grin returned. “Nah. Romance isn’t my thing. Never really has been, save for when I was younger.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl leaned back on her palms. “I’ve got a boy back home,” she confessed. “He takes care of my sister and Momma. We write each other often. Still waitin’ on him to send a ring in the mail.” She laughed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“One day, he’ll wake up and realize that he can’t take the woman of his dreams for granted,” Twilight declared. “It’ll hit you like a train. Trust me, I know.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl smiled. “You miss your ex, don’tcha?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight stared down at his empty drink. He felt a little dizzy. “Yeah,” he sighed, letting his hand fall down onto the table. “I miss her. A lot. She was the love of my life, you know. I still think about her every day.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl reached out and tenderly touched his shoulder. “Aw, it’ll be okay, soldier,” she assured him. “One day, another lass will ride through town-“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But it won’t be her!” Twilight sobbed, the drinks flushing his cheeks and peppering tears in his eyes. “She was the only girl I ever loved and she—she—“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Calm down, Twi,” The girl hushed him. “I think you’ve had a little too much to drink, bud.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I want her back,” Twilight moaned, setting his cheek on the table. “I still have the wedding rings, she loves my doggies, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> my doggies, I wonder if she knows if I got more doggies. I should write to her and tell her I got more doggies-“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s enough,” the girl huffed, sliding off the table and helping Twilight to his feet. “Let’s get you home, big guy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl practically dragged Twilight down the street to his house, ignoring his wailing the whole way. She pushed open the door and was greeted by his dogs, who Twilight was surprised to see did not immediately bark or snap at the girl, like they did to most new people. They pricked their ears and watched her curiously as she yanked Twilight up the stairs and to his room. He flopped down on the bed and keened in sorrow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Goddess, you’re hopeless,” the saloon girl sighed, going over and tugging off his boots. She removed his coat and his shirt, tucking him in bed and lightly ruffling his hair. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Go to bed,” she murmured. “Like you said, Saturday is for recovery.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Stay heeeeeeere,” Twilight slurred. “I’m gonna be sad all night thinking about her. Will you mope with me? Please?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girl stood, backing up back to the door. “Goodnight, Twi,” she called softly. “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bandits bite.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She closed the door, and Twilight listened to her footsteps on the stairs, the front door open and close. Then the house was silent and suddenly a lot colder. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight looked up at the ceiling. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He should really get his lady problems under control before he did something stupid. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>///</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think of that saloon girl Deputy Twilight keeps on his arm all the time?” Sun asked absentmindedly, picking at the pins in her hair. She pulled them out, and gradually her blonde hair fell down from its bun. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think she’s mysterious,” Sky yawned from where he was nestled under her covers. She turned around from her vanity to look at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How so? Like the fact that she’s never told anyone her name?” She asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky propped his head up on his hand. The blanket slid halfway down his torso, revealing part of his bare chest, and Sun turned away, trying to hide her flush. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it’s strange that Hyrule let her work at the saloon without identification,” Sky observed. “Especially since she rolled into town right on the bandit’s tailends.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You think she’s connected to the bandits?” Sun couldn’t hold in her laugh. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky surprised her by shrugging. “Who knows?” He said. “If she is, she’s doing a great job at hiding it. But she isn’t that blonde bandit that was at the jailhouse.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun pulled the last pin and her hair fell loose. She picked up a brush and started her one hundred strokes through the honey locks. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever the case,” Sky sighed, “she’s a great companion for Twi. Ever since his whole marriage incident, he’s been so skittish around new women in town. It’s lovely that she’s getting him to open up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun paused, thinking. “Do you think they’re in love?” She asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky pondered her question for a moment. “No,” he finally concluded. “They don’t - they don’t act like that, you know? It’s just all banter and trust. I don’t know. It feels like it would fit together more nicely if they were, but, just, they’re - they’re not.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun nodded, reaching fifty strokes. “I understand that. I’ve never seen them dance before.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s because Twilight has two left feet,” Sky said stoutly. “He couldn’t dance if he tried.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun laughed, finishing her hair and setting the brush down. She stood up from her vanity and hopped into bed next to Sky. They were forbidden to be together, sure - but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t share each other’s company on nights when her father was passed out from the drinks he had had at the saloon. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky wrapped his arms around Sun and she leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you,” he murmured. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun sank her fingers into his hair, breathing out deeply. “Love you more,” she sighed sleepily. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The room was warm with happy thoughts and cuddles as they fell asleep. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>///</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four’s workshop was blazing hot, sweat beading his forehead from the heat. He raised his hammer above his head again and struck the metal he held flat on his anvil. The sparks flew and fizzled out on his glove and apron. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The buzz from the drinks at the saloon was still fading away. Four might as well hold on to the energy it gave him for the next hour or so. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced up at the figure hunched over in the corner. He grinned. “You don’t have to hide away,” he said, continuing to hammer away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shadow peeled away from the wall, looking disgusted. “I come to you for help and you don’t even let me leave this dump!” He cried angrily. “What’s so bad about the town knowing about me?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four giggled. “One madman shows coincidence,” he said. “Two shows negligence.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shadow scowled. “Stop with your riddles. They infuriate me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four just smiled at him and went hammering away back at the sheet of metal. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shadow watched him for a little bit longer before sighing. “Why do you make me come all this way?” He said softly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four slowly looked up at him. He was quiet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shadow uncrossed his arms and let them drop to his sides. “Is that all I am to you?” He asked. “Something you call upon when you’re lonely?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four still didn’t answer. The buzz was fading. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shadow closed his eyes, shaking his head lightly. “I wish I was real so I could hug you,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around himself and looking away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The alcoholic buzz faded, and so did Shadow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four looked down at the metal he had been hammering. It had gone cold. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>oh boy 3 am!</p>
<p>I wrote a majority of this chapter really really late at night, so apologies for any confusing bits and typos. in the words of my english teacher, you have to bring the audience up to their highest for them to fall the hardest.</p>
<p>(the Shadow bit at the end literally has no effect on the plot. I wrote that in a while after I wrote everything else and is more of a self indulgence than anything. &lt;3)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. even though you’re killing me, i need you like the air i breathe (5)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>the saloon girl's identity is revealed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i cried 4 times writing this chapter :)</p><p>songs i listened to:</p><p>The Cut That Always Bleeds - Conan Gray<br/>Coffee - beabadoobee<br/>Backstabber - Ke$ha</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Twilight felt strange when he woke up the next day. He hadn’t been hungover like this in years. Not since the wedding. There had been a few lonely months when his best friend was alcohol and his hounds, but that was a long time ago. He groaned against the ringing in his ears, the nausea in his gut, and the headache that pounded against his temple.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sleepily blinked his eyes open, seeing that the sun was up past his window. Not quite noon, but not nine in the morning either. He had slept insufferably late. It was a miracle that Time wasn’t knocking on his door yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twilight dragged himself out of bed, the cold and musty air of his room making him shiver. He trudged over to his dresser and pulled out a ratty old shirt and picked his coat up from off the floor. He squinted at nothing in particular as he tried to remember the hazy memories from the night before. He knew that he had started talking about his failed marriage, but after that...Twilight couldn’t remember too much. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hope to Hylia I didn’t say anything stupid in front of that girl.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stomping downstairs, Twilight got some dried meat from the pantry and threw it to the hounds, who happily snarfed it up. He grabbed his hat from where it hung on its peg by the door and headed out. He didn’t need to worry about the dogs; Sky would be coming by soon to pick them up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He made his way down the lane to the sheriff's department and ducked inside. The air was hazy. Time must be smoking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight trudged to the office and found Time quietly doing some paperwork. He had a cigar sticking out from between his lips, a thin trail of smoke dancing up from the scorching end. The phonograph in the corner of the room - that normally stayed untouched and simply collected dust - was silently playing a nice trumpet tune. Twilight guessed that Malon stopped by that morning, saw the old contraption, and decided to put on some music for Time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time looked up as Twilight walked in. He must have stayed a lot longer than Twilight had last night, as he only smoked tobacco whenever he was hungover or sick. He removed the cigar from his mouth and blew out a large cloud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re up early.” He said in a deadpan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re smoking, which means you have a hangover, which meant that you woke up at least an hour ago,” Twilight retorted, throwing his coat on the back of a chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time rolled his eye and sat back in his chair, taking another long drag from his cigar. The eternal golden hour that the town seemed to be washed in sent blades of sunlight sluicing down onto the floorboards, creating an almost dreamlike state to the room. It made the smoke visible, twirling around Time’s hands as he moved and wreathing around his head like a crown. He looked like a painting for a moment, until Twilight moved and the effect was lost.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This came for you,” Time said, picking up a sealed envelope and pushing it towards Twilight. Twilight picked it up curiously, immediately knowing who it was from when he saw the impossibly curly handwriting and the gold wax seal on the back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors was so wordy with his letters. Twilight felt himself yawn three separate times as he read.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Esteemed Deputy Twilight of Hyrule Town,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I awoke this fine, September morning to realize - I had been robbed last night! Not in a bandit attack, nay - lo, it was you yourself who pilfered my pockets! Therefore I challenge you to a friendly duel this morning at high noon, at the saloon. A drinking duel, my fine fellow. If I win, I win back all the money I lost yesternight! Alas, if you clench victory once more, I shall surrender to thee and nay challenge a formidable foe such as you again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Regards,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Gentleman Warriors</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What did he challenge you to this time?” Time asked sarcastically as Twilight sighed and set the letter down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A drinking contest,” Twilight sighed. “At </span>
  <em>
    <span>noon.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time let out a short laugh. “Just because it’s Saturday doesn’t mean you don’t have to work,” Time observed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He never said what he would do if I didn’t show up,” Twilight mused, turning the letter over to look at the back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time smirked. “I’ll let you have an hour off at noon. To go have that stupid little contest and talk with your lady friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight quieted at Time’s words. He watched Time scrawl away at his papers for a few minutes before breaking the silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time, do people think I’m in love with that saloon girl?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time looked up in surprise. He removed the cigar from his lips. “What?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight repeated his question. Time sighed deeply. He tapped his cigar with one finger, letting ash fall down onto his papers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>think you’re in love with that girl?” Time answered carefully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight crossed his arms on the desk. “No,” he said firmly. “I haven’t - I haven’t felt anything for anyone since - her. This girl...she’s a friend. Seriously. I’ve never thought once about liking her that way.” He curled his hands into fists. “I don’t want to dishonor her. I see her more like...like a sister, almost.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time nodded a little and glanced away. “I understand. There was a girl, back in my old town...she thought we were going to be destined for each other. It turned out not to be so.” Time shook his head slightly. “She’s still a good friend. We keep in touch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twilight sighed through his nose and let his shoulders slump a little. “I guess we should tackle his paperwork before I get drunk later, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time smiled and put his cigar back in his mouth. “Good plan. I’m glad you’re my deputy, pup. You don’t realize how needed you are around here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>//</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few hours later, Time and Twilight had knocked out a good amount of papers and grievances before Time told Twilight he was free to go. So Twilight shrugged his coat back on and tipped his hat back onto his head. He had the strange feeling to keep his hand securely on his pigging string. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The saloon was musty and lit up by sunlight during the daytime. Twilight almost never went to the saloon before eight at night, so seeing the dust bunnies suspended in sunbeams enchanted him for a moment. His shoulders lost paperwork tension when he saw her. She was strutting around like a peacock on top of the counter, rolling her shoulders back and forth and batting her feather fan in front of her face as she teased Warriors where he sat at the bar. Twilight didn’t see Artemis anywhere, but if she found out that her fiance had been flirting with the saloon girl, she wouldn’t be too pleased.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl looked up as Twilight entered, and she smiled behind her veil. “It’s about time you showed up!” She squawked, jutting her hip out and putting a hand on it, fanning her face with her feather fan with her other hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight grinned as he tossed his hat and coat onto the coat tree. He made sure that his pigging string and revolver were firmly attached to his belt. Sky and Sun were sitting together at a table, sharing some sweets, and Hyrule and Marin were behind the bar cleaning glasses. A few other townsfolk were scattered around at random tables - Dot, a local shepherdess, was curled up in a booth and knitting something, and Dawn - a young woman who had moved in from the city a few months ago - was at a table counting coins and muttering to herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, War,” Twilight called as he made his way over. “Your letter made it sound like I pickpocketed you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The saloon girl gave a dramatic gasp and pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. “Shameful!” she wailed with passion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors smirked. “You practically did,” he said, raising his eyebrows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did nothing of the sort,” Twilight said. He stopped, still standing. “You challenged me to some games last night, and I won, fair and square.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, and I’m challenging you to another game,” Warriors replied, standing up. He towered over Twilight, at least a head taller. “If you can hold more alcohol than me, you can keep your winnings.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight flashed him a smile, his canines glinting. “Challenge accepted, my good man.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat down at a table where Marin had already set up their line of drinks - a dozen shot glasses, each filled halfway with the strongest gin that the saloon offered. Marin stood over them, hands on her hips. “You boys know the rules,” she said sternly. “The first one to bail on their drinks or refuse to have another one loses. Mister Warriors already set the terms, yes?” She fixed the men with a hard stare.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They nodded solemnly, and Marin slapped the table. “Then start,” She announced. “The challenged is to go first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight picked up the first glass and downed it in a single gulp. The alcohol burned his throat and he had to cough to clear it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t handle a little drink, huh, deputy?” Warriors teased. Twilight rolled his eyes as Warriors also took his first glass. His face screwed up at the difficult taste, and he also wheezed a little as it went down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever pickpocketed, sweetheart?” Warriors asked the saloon girl sweetly, who was watching the challenge from a little ways away. She seemed to smile under her veil. “Oh, heavens no,” she said. “That’s a bandit’s job to do. Trust me, I’ve been a good girl my whole life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight smiled, knowing she spoke the truth. Yes, she said that she had run away from home once, but surely it was for good reason. And how she had dressed up as a man to vote - that was perfectly justified too. Women should vote. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s always right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight and Warriors each downed two more shots before one began to crumble. The saloon girl had moved away, and Twilight felt a bubble catch in his throat, and he wheezed, beating his chest with a fist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give up?” Warriors asked. Twilight could tell that the heir was woozy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not a chance,” Twilight blanched. “Your turn.” He sat up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors grimaced as he picked up the glass and stared at the amber liquid inside. He closed his eyes as he lifted the glass daintily to his lips, pinky out, and took a tentative sip. He swallowed, but immediately began coughing, setting the glass down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goddesses, that hurts,” he wailed. “Y-You win. Dammit, you win.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marin cheered, and Hyrule, who had come out from behind the bar to watch, clapped and patted Twilight on the shoulders. Twilight was a little surprised at his easy victory. Both men stood and shook hands, Warriors looking a little pale.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, did you see-” Twilight began to say as he turned around to address the girl, and then froze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had her hand in the pocket of his coat, and when she drew it out, she had the ring in her hand. Twilight watched in absolute shock as she examined it carefully, and then tucked it away in her skirt. She rummaged around some more, looking for loose coins.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight couldn’t move. He was frozen. He blinked a few times, as if willing this to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>fake</span>
  </em>
  <span>. This couldn’t be real - his friend, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>best friend,</span>
  </em>
  <span> stealing the only part of his ex-fiance he had? Was she </span>
  <em>
    <span>insane</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Twilight felt betrayed. He felt </span><em><span>violated. </span></em><span>He didn’t understand the hate and the apprehension and the </span><em><span>awfulness</span></em><span> that squeezed his heart and made his lungs hurt and made his knees weak. This girl</span> <span>had been his happiness, his hopefulness, his </span><em><span>safety net,</span></em><span> for the past month. He had told her more about his past in these last few weeks than he had told Time in</span><em><span> years.</span></em></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had trusted her. He had treated her like a sister. He had taught her how to fire a pistol with accuracy and given her his extra change from when he visited the general store because he knew she needed it. He had seen her sitting at a booth with Sun, laughing and sharing food and going home with her, since Sun had an extra room and the girl didn’t have anywhere to live other than the saloon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He didn’t even know her name, and he had trusted her with his life.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop,” he blurted after what seemed like an eternity. His voice got stuck in his dry throat, and he swallowed thickly before he repeated it again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl stared at him. Her blue eyes were impossibly wide, and her eyebrows were arched in shock. Shock that she had been caught stealing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rose to her feet, dropping the coins that she had been holding. They clattered to the ground, cutting through the quiet noise of the saloon. Twilight felt all soft conversation stop, and every eye turn to face them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight and the girl were in their own separate universe. It was just them, Twilight staring down the girl, and the girl staring down Twilight. Twilight’s blood roared in his ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>trusted</span>
  </em>
  <span> you,” he choked out, taking a step forward. The girl held her ground and balled her hands into fists, lowering them to her sides.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> mistake,” she spat. Twilight was taken aback. He had expected her to surrender, to hand over the ring and laugh and admit that it was just a prank. But this was no longer a witty saloon girl. This was an entire different person altogether. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight felt his chest rise and fall rapidly. He needed that ring back. His marriage may have failed, but that didn’t mean his feelings did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give it back,” Twilight said lowly, holding out his hand. “Just give it back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My family needs it more than you,” she hissed. A glint of desperation shone in her eyes. Someone Twilight couldn’t help but find familiar, as if he had seen it before. Deja vu made him dizzy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>ring,” Twilight said. The anger was making his hands shake. “That’s - I - I told you how much that ring meant to me. I told you that it’s for my f-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care who it’s supposed to be for!” The girl shouted. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>need it! There are people out there </span>
  <em>
    <span>starving -</span>
  </em>
  <span> my </span>
  <em>
    <span>family</span>
  </em>
  <span> is starving - and yet you feel entitled to keep useless little knickknacks like </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” She pulled the ring out and brandished it in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a </span>
  <em>
    <span>backstabber!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Twilight shouted back. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>lied </span>
  </em>
  <span>to me, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>trusted someone for once in my life</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He flashed out a hand and seized her wrist, and with the other hand reached forward, grabbed the veil in his fist, and ripped it off of her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl shrieked and wrenched herself out of Twilight’s grasp, dropping the ring and stumbling back. Twilight grabbed the ring before it fell, and tucked it into his pocket, and glanced back up at the girl -</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t there anymore. The girl had vanished into thin air, disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In her place stood the Burning Bandit in a dress.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight may have only seen him once without his mask - a fleeting moment in the pandemonium of the jailhouse fire - but he could never forget that </span>
  <em>
    <span>scar. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The mangled left ear, the frown that it dragged his mouth into. The claw marks on his neck. The gunpowder scars.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes were wide like a dog’s. He seemed to shrink in on himself. “Twi,” he said hoarsely, reaching out towards Twilight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight felt like his skin was being turned inside out. He felt wrong. He felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful.</span>
  </em>
  <span> How could he have been so </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span>? She - no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> - had dropped so many hints. Dressing as a man to vote. Running away from home. Having a sister, having a boy back home, having to provide for them...he had been talking about the bandits the whole time. Twilight had the urge to grab his pistol and shoot himself for being so naive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grabbed the Burning Bandit’s wrist as he reached for Twilight, and then wrapped his arms around his waist, and then flanked him into the floor, hard. The bandit shrieked in surprise, and must have gotten the wind knocked out of him as he choked on his breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s hands moved with a mind of their own. He had ranched for years, wrestling cattle and performing in a rodeo here and there. Tie-down roping was like breathing to him now. He wrenched the pigging string from his belt and held it between his teeth as he sat down heavily on top of him. He didn’t have a horse behind him to worry about. He grabbed the bandit’s arms and one of his legs, wrenching them up to his chest and not caring about the cry of pain that came from his lips. In one quick motion, he bound his wrists and ankle together in a tie-down rope knot, and he wrenched himself off of the bandit, standing. He found himself holding his hands up for six seconds afterward out of habit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bandit screeched in anger, jerking against his bonds and demanding that Twilight let him go. Twilight heard the astonished gasps and horrified murmurs from the other patrons that were gathered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that-?” Sun gasped with horror. Twilight didn’t have to turn around to tell that Sky was holding her tightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” Warriors stammered in shock. The shock of the event seemed to have made the effects of the alcohol disappear. “Twilight…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s vision was blurry with tears. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Tunnel vision closed in, and he felt trapped. He needed to get out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Twilight-” Sky’s voice said. He was too close, too close, too close. No one should get close to Twilight again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight turned and ran. Away from Sky, away from the bandit that he had trusted and thought of as a sibling and a best friend, away from what scared him. He wanted to run far away from this town. He just wanted to </span>
  <em>
    <span>run away. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He found himself outside of Sky’s ranch, and burst inside, letting the dams in his eyes break. He slammed the door shut behind him and slid down to a sitting position, sobbing loudly and keening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malon rushed into the room, eyes wide. “Oh, my goodness, Twilight,” she gasped, hurrying forward and dropping down beside him. Twilight collapsed into her arms, pawing at her sleeves and burying his head into her chest like a child. Malon ran her fingers through his hair, letting him cry and sob and scream incoherent thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight wasn’t sure how long they sat on Malon’s floor, but by the time Twilight looked up again, his face was sticking to her blouse by tears, his eyes and his throat were uncomfortably dry and scratchy, and his hands were still shaking. The shadows cast from the window were long, and golden hour was upon them once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened, baby?” Malon murmured, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Her dark eyes were concerned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight dropped his head between his shoulders. He didn’t want to talk about it. But he knew Malon might be able to help. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I shouldn’t trust anyone else.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“</span>
  </em>
  <span>Malon, I’m a fucking failure,” he sobbed.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i am v sorry but i had to take my english teachers advice. bring you up so i can make u crash.</p><p>please leave ur thoughts in the comments, i adore reading them! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. this night is cold in the kingdom, i can feel you fade away (6)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The saloon girl is jailed. Twilight isn’t okay.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was a long time until Twilight felt ready to leave the safety of Malon’s arms. Malon had let him stay at her place for a long time, even fixing him dinner and making sure that he was alright. He cried a lot more in those hours. His mind kept telling him </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t trust, don’t trust, you can’t trust anymore, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but at this point, Twilight was too exhausted to listen anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was sure that he would have stayed over at the ranch overnight if Sky had not come back, looking exhausted and almost guilty. Twilight, who was wrapped in a blanket and sitting by the window, shrank away from Sky when he walked in. Sky cast his eyes downward, and then looked over at Malon, who was cleaning up the table after dinner.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s at the jailhouse,” Sky said quietly. His hands ran over the back of a chair. “I helped Time and Warriors get him in.” Sky glanced over at Twilight again, and then looked away. “The sheriff’s looking for him. He thinks he -” Sky’s breathed hitched a little. “He was worried he may have done something to himself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight tore his eyes away from them. His eyes burned with tears. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Should I have done something? Would he have felt sorry? No, of course he wouldn’t, he was just playing with me the entire time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take him back,” Malon murmured. She set a plate down and wiped her wet hands on her pants. “Time is probably worried sick.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malon coaxed Twilight to stand and silently led him out to the pasture, letting him pick a horse. Twilight was grateful that she wasn’t making him walk - he was exhausted and was sure he would collapse on the way back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malon got him onto a horse and mounted her own, and they left the pasture and the ranch behind. Twilight began rehearsing his speech to Time in his head as they went down the dusty road back towards the town. How he was a terrible deputy for being tricked, and how he didn’t deserve the position, and how he wanted to resign. Twilight felt dread build up like bile in his throat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Malon stopped their horses in front of the sheriff’s department. Twilight was thankful that it was late so people wouldn’t see him come back. The saloon’s lights were dim, but still Twilight refused to even look at it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing open the door to the sheriff’s department, Twilight stumbled inside. It was dark, which was unusual; Time was usually there until the wee hours of the morning doing paperwork, and he hated working in the dark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time?” Twilight called weakly. He hadn’t used his voice in a few hours, so it cracked horribly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time was immediately in the doorway of his office, looking disheveled. The bags under his eyes were more prominent, even in the dark. His hair was mussed and his shirt was kittywa.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pup,” Time said hoarsely. That was all the sheriff needed to say in order for Twilight to burst into tears and fly into his arms, sobbing into his chest. Time held him tightly, burying his face into his deputy’s hair, not saying a word. Malon watched from the doorway, and then quietly left, leaving the sheriff and the deputy alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight breathed in Time’s smoky, dusty smell that always seemed to follow him around like cologne. Time’s hands were firm and heavy against his back. He held him like a child, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>child, and no one else’s. He held Twilight like a mother holds her toddler, away from dangers she wished she could stop. Like a mother who wanted to rid the world of death and peril so her child could go running without a care in the world. Time wanted to protect Twilight. Time saw himself as Twilight’s guardian, Twilight’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>parent</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and Twilight felt safer in Time’s arms than he had felt anywhere else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time pulled away after a long time, holding Twilight’s shoulders firmly. “I thought you had killed yourself, kid,” he said, sounding choked up. Twilight was shocked and guilty to see tears glimmering in his eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight sniffled and wiped his nose with his hand. “Time, I don’t want to be deputy anymore,” he sobbed. “I-I’m a failure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Twi, we’re all failures in this situation,” Time said firmly. “We all failed. That bandit tricked all of us, and he’s going to pay for it dearly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight looked up at Time with wide eyes. “What are you going to do?” he asked softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time’s face was grim. “We’re going to kill him,” He growled. “We’re going to kill him, and I’m going to do it for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>//</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild didn’t think he should feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>guilty about playing Twilight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>humiliating </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be exposed like that in front of a lot of people - in front of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sun </span>
  </em>
  <span>no less - but the scene Twilight had caused? Unacceptable. Wild had been tied up and tied down like an </span>
  <em>
    <span>animal.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sure, Wild had tricked Twilight into thinking he was a saloon girl and in turn his best friend - but that didn’t give Twilight the excuse to treat him like that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But a part of Wild, deep, deep down in his gut, felt like he absolutely, one hundred percent deserved it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After Twilight had run from the saloon, Sky and Warriors had restrained him as they sent Hyrule to get Time. Wild had to admit the look on Time’s face was beautiful - a mix of pure unbridled rage and awful guilt and regret. Wild had only had a few seconds to bask in the smugness of the situation before Time had clamped a pair of manacles around his wrists and was dragging him roughly out of the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Warriors had called after Time as he dragged Wild out the door. Time stopped, one hand on the chain between the manacles and the other firmly between Wild’s shoulder blades. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors had stepped out of the saloon, the afternoon sun striking his hair and making a sort of halo around his head. He had reached out, and Wild had tensed for a blow-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The heir grabbed a fistful of Wild’s dress in his hand and yanked. Wild gritted his teeth as the fabric dug into his shoulders roughly, no doubt leaving burn marks. Warriors was stronger than Wild thought, and the dress was ripped off of Wild’s body. He was left in nothing but his trousers, his chest bare and testament to the museum of scars he boasted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors threw the dress on the ground, his face painted with hurt and anger. “That was for Twilight,” he spat, and Wild thought he saw a flash of regret cross his face as he turned away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sky accompanied Time to the jailhouse and helped him wrestle Wild into a cell. Wild thought he was sly before, but Time was not one for bullshit and Sky had a watchful eye. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon Wild had new pants and a new shirt (“new” was an understatement; the infernal things were much too small and moths had eaten away at them long ago) and was tossed carelessly into a cell. Time slammed the door behind him, locking it with a loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>click.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re lucky you’re still alive,” Time seethed darkly. “If it were up to me, I’d kill you where you stand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then why not do it?” Wild hissed. He sat up onto his hands from where he had landed on his back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time’s eye narrowed. “I’m sure Twilight will want to speak with you before your execution,” he snarled. He yanked the key out of the lock and stalked away, back down the hall. Wild waited for the slamming of the door, and then collapsed back onto his back, slapping his hands over his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knew that Flora, Sidon and Legend could take care of themselves. They had pulled enough money from their last heist to get them at least a month’s worth of food, if they rationed it out. Aryll wasn’t eating the last time Wild was back, and he hoped and prayed that Flora had gotten through to her. He hadn’t lied to Twilight outright - he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>have a family he had to provide for. If he could’ve just stayed for a few more days as a saloon girl...he could have gotten all the information he needed about the bank in order to sweep the whole thing. No thanks to Twilight for that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild felt his heart squeeze. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t think about Twilight that way</span>
  </em>
  <span>, his brain snapped unexpectedly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You broke his heart. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Wild growled, rolling over into his side. He thought he saw the glinting eyes of a rat staring back at him from a crack in the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wild?” A small, unexpected voice called from down the hall. Wild sat up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wind?” He blurted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A small, pale hand appeared around the wall, flailing. Wild scrambled forward and stuck his arm through the bars, grabbing onto the smaller boy’s hand. His face split into a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, buddy,” Wild said, grinning. “You been holding up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You guys are losers,” Wind spat with humor. “You blew up half the jailhouse and couldn’t even weasel me out.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild burst into a laugh. His chest burned. The last time he had laughed was with Twilight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least you’re alive, kid,” Wild said, squeezing his hand. “Same can’t be said for me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wind scoffed. “Yeah, right. As if they could kill you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild laughed again, but it felt like it was lined with thorns. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>//</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Two days later, Time returned. And he was not alone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild heard the sound of a pair of footsteps, and found himself grinning. He sat up from where he had been laying down, and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his chin.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Time appeared, shadowy in the dim light that leaked from the single window. His face was shadowed by his hat, but Wild could </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>the glare the sheriff gave him. He glanced to the side, and then stepped out of the way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild felt his stomach do a somersault when Twilight edged into Wild’s view. Even in the dim light, Wild could see the bags under his eyes, the pale tone of his skin, and how ratty his hair was. He was hugging his arms as if to stop himself from shaking. His lips were pulled tightly together as he slowly raised his gaze to look at Wild.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three of them stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity, before Time glanced at Twilight and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll leave you two be,” he murmured, and then walked back off to the stairwell. Twilight’s eyes darted to the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild shifted against the wall. “So?” he spat. “Come to apologize or something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s gaze lifted. His brows furrowed “You want </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> to apologize?” He stammered. “For </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild threw his arm around his cell. “For this! For locking me up in a cell and putting my throat in a noose.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s face scrunched up and he turned away. “I didn’t mean for it to end like this,” he murmured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, boo hoo,” Wild snarled. “You’re just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little spoiled deputy</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the big city that’s never had to deal with anything worse than a bank robbery in his life.” Wild’s voice curled into a growl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight looked back at him. “That’s not true!” He cried. “You - </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wild</span>
  </em>
  <span> - you hurt me. It sounds...childish. But you hurt me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild’s heart ached. He wanted to hug Twilight like he had when he was in the saloon, but he pushed away the urge. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What are you thinking? He’s a deputy, and you’re a bandit. You can’t be on the same side.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild wrenched his gaze away. “That’s just how it is out here, Twilight. People get hurt. Whether you like it or not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s hands balled into fists. “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done,” he said. He sounded choked. “For what you did to the town. The people. The jailhouse.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did all those hours in the saloon really mean nothing to you?” Wild snarled, his gaze snapping back over to Twilight. His blue eyes glittered in the dim light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s body language completely changed. His shoulders sagged, and his hands lost their tension and fell limp at his sides. His brows softened, tilting upwards. He let his bottom lip drop. His gaze sank to the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wild, they meant the world to me,” Twilight said. His tone was almost too soft to hear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild’s heart shattered into a broken mirror as Twilight turned and left without a word. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this is kind of short but WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I cried writing this btw but that’s just how it be when ur successful luv ✨💕💅🏻</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. i'd rather die than have to cry in front of you (7)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The executioner arrives. Warriors strikes a deal with Wild.</p><p>(CW FOR: mention of hanging)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Time looked up from his papers, blinking through the smoky haze that filled the room as the door to the office was thrown open. He froze in confusion as Warriors, Sun, Marin, and Four all marched in. Warriors planted his hands on Time’s desk, his pretty face twisted into an expression of deep thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sheriff,” Warriors began. “I’ve come to make a deal with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time sighed out a long, woeful breath. Smoke poured out of his mouth, and he plucked the cigar from between his lips and dropped it into the ashtray on his desk. “What kind of deal are you offering, kid?” He said lowly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors raised his chin. “As you know, you jailed a bandit two days ago,” he began. It was obviously rehearsed. “Wild. The Burning Bandit. He goes by many names.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time waved his hand dismissively. “Get to the point. I’m a busy man, and I can go without tramps like you in my office.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors looked ruffled, but then continued on. “I come with a proposition,” he continued. The ladies and Four had taken seats in front of the desk, and Sun and Marin looked apprehensive yet determined as they eyed Warriors as he paced. Four was aloof, staring off into the corner of the room with a hooded expression. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s this magical proposition you have?” Time asked. He just wanted these kids out of his office. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors met Time’s eyes. “I want to defend Wild in court as his lawyer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time scoffed. “His </span>
  <em>
    <span>lawyer</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Kid, you’re outta your mind. That bandit burned down our jailhouse. His companions threatened Marin and shot at me, Twilight, Sky and Malon. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>tricked</span>
  </em>
  <span> the whole town into thinking he was a woman to get under our noses. I won’t allow you to defend him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t come here to ask for your </span>
  <em>
    <span>permission</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Warriors snarled, suddenly on the defensive. “You don’t know the full story about that that boy has been through. Do you hear me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors leaned on the desk, shoving his face close to Time’s. “I’m defending that kid, whether you like it or not. And I’m going to win that damn court case.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time stared back, defiant as ever. “What ‘full story’ should I know about? As sheriff, you should have come to me first to report such things-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To Time’s surprise, Sun sprang from her chair and shoved Warriors aside, slamming her hands down on the desk. It was taking quite a beating today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> let Wild stay in my </span>
  <em>
    <span>own house</span>
  </em>
  <span>, in my </span>
  <em>
    <span>own bed</span>
  </em>
  <span> because he couldn’t find another place to stay,” she said, with more ferocity than Time had ever heard from her. It was almost comical - her enraged face framed by pretty ringlets and a lacy bonnet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun jabbed a finger at Time. “I knew about Wild long before that atrocity at the saloon happened,” she hissed. “Wild confessed to me one night. He has a sweetheart, hell, he practically has *kids.* He did all of this just so he could *provide for his family-*”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sun, that’s enough,” Time said gently, standing up. “Let’s not get worked up-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun reached forward and grabbed Time by the collar, pulling him down to her eye level. “You have <em>no place</em> to talk here!” She shouted. “That boy is <em>innocent</em>! And I don’t care <em>what</em> you say - we’re defending him in court, <em>all </em>of us!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun’s shouts were interrupted as the door swung open with a creak. Every eye swiveled to land on Twilight, who looked as subdued and hunched as ever since two days ago. The bags under his eyes were getting worse, Time noticed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He panicked internally for a moment. <em>How much had he heard?</em></span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight’s dull eyes fell on the sheriff. “Time,” Twilight croaked. “He’s here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time felt his stomach turn. Sun released Time and backed off, but was still puffed up like a cat on defensive. Time swallowed thickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who?” Marin demanded. “Who’s here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight ducked his head and slowly shuffled away. Time felt a chill go up his spine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time!” Warriors shouted. “Who’s here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time sighed and gripped the back of his chair. “The executioner. Wild’s executioner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time pushed past Warriors, who had fallen into subdued silence. Time solemnly picked up his hat from the peg by the door and slid it on, and tipped it down to shadow his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pushed open the door, stepping heavily down the creaky wooden stairs. He saw the pale horse in the middle of the square. Sky had met the rider at his ranch and led him into town, and even the rancher looked terrified. He clutched the reins of the horse with white knuckles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rider - the <em>executioner</em> - swung a leg over the side of his horse and dropped to the dirt, shaking his other foot out of the stirrup. His deathly sharp silver spurs rattled against his boots. He yanked the gullet of the saddle forward, adjusting the skirt, and then turned around, squinting at Time, as if he had known he was there the whole time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a reason the pale-haired executioner had been practically exiled to roam the sands of the Gerudo Plains for over twenty years now. He had terrified the town when Time was young. People used to think that Time was a young version of the terrifying man. Time’s worst nightmares were plagued by this pale-eyed vigilante. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still, Time forced himself to walk over and extend his hand. The taller man considered Time’s calloused palm for a moment before slowly sliding his own hand into his. His grip was like iron and twice as cold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This man had no real name, so the people just called him what he was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fierce Deity,” Time choked out. “Thank you for responding to our call.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fierce Deity didn’t reply. He just nodded briefly and pried his hand back from Time’s grip. Time glanced over at Sky, and then nodded a little. Sky took this as a sign to leave, and he led the pale horse away, but out a generous distance between him and the animal, as if he was afraid it would devour him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s always an honor to have you back in town,” Time continued, beginning to edge back towards the sheriff’s department. Fierce Deity shuffled after him. He wore no hat, and barely any normal western wear - just a blousy shirt, a blue vest, and tan trousers. His pale hair had been braided back, and his ivory skin looked too smooth, too doll-like. He didn’t look at all like a man who had been wandering the hot countryside for two decades. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time led him back into the building, where Twilight was waiting at the threshold. He looked terrified as Fierce Deity stooped below the doorframe to enter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is my deputy, Twilight,” Time said hurriedly. “He’s been working with me for about ten years now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight extended his hand, but looked like he would like nothing more than to never touch Fierce Deity. The pale haired man took Twilight’s hand, however, and gave it a firm shake before pulling it away. Twilight looked relieved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Has Warriors-?” Time asked Twilight, but Twilight shook his head silently. Time sighed, and then pushed back into his office.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors still stood in front of the desk, arms crossed and defiant. His jaw was set, and he had the audacity to look <em>impatient</em>. Sun and Marin had left the room, but Four remained - along with a newcomer. Time’s shoulders sagged. Could this day please <em>stop</em> getting more difficult?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lullaby glared at him as he sat down. She sat in the chair farthest away from the desk, near the windows, so the lack of light cast a shadow over her face. Her blonde-orange hair was alight with a halo-like glow, and even though she was a few years Time’s senior, she looked much younger in almost every way. She didn’t have the bags under her eyes like Time did, or the invisible weight leaning on her shoulders. The only thing that gave away her age were the crow’s feet on the corners of her eyes. She didn’t even have smile wrinkles. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lullaby,” Time said tiredly as he sat down. “How nice of you to join us.” He glanced over at Fierce Deity as the executioner stalked into the room and took a seat. Warriors seemed to sense the death that radiated from Fierce Deity’s presence, and took a few steps away. Four’s eyes widened at the sight of the significantly taller man, and he scooted his chair back with awfully loud scratching noises against the old wooden floors. Twilight look uncomfortable, but what else was new?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only person who looked generally unfazed by Fierce Deity was Lullaby herself. He sat in the chair next to the woman, but Lullaby simply glanced at him. She brought her gaze down and then up again, and tilted her head to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened to all of your muscle?” She drawled, fearless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room froze. Lullaby’s comment balanced on a knife’s edge. She looked unfazed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To Time’s shock, Fierce Deity <em>smiled</em>. The tribal markings on his cheeks stretched. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Riding a horse,” he said, and his cracking, broken voice did not match his appearance. “does not get you muscle.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lullaby cracked a smile. The pair said no more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time sighed. “Four, may I ask why you stayed after the ladies left?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Four’s eyes stretched wide. “A turning point has been reached!” He chirped. “The flow of normalcy has been interrupted. Here is where the old town dies.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time pursed his lips. It was a little embarrassing for Four to go off on one of his tangents in front of Fierce Deity and Lullaby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time leaned forward on the desk. “Four, no one understands you-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Poison comes in the night,” Four hissed. Time could have sworn he saw a sheen of violet sparkle over his irises. “The sadness of dusk falls on the death of those whom you find sinners. But we are all made of dust, and will return to dust - but not them! They are gold, and gold regrows in its caves.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Four was leaning so far forward in his seat that Time was afraid he would topple over. Time exchanged a long, doubtful glance with Twilight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Typical Four.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time shook his head. “Moving on. Fierce Deity. I summoned you back here because of an execution, of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fierce Deity leaned on his hand. His expression was unreadable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time sighed. “A bandit group has infiltrated our town recently. We finally caught the ringleader and one of his companions. We intend to execute both of them sometime soon -“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“However, the bandit leader, Wild, has requested a fair trial,” Warriors interjected. He gave Time a hard stare. “I am to be his lawyer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time was shocked. Warriors <em>dared</em> to speak up to Fierce Deity?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the man didn’t say anything. He simply nodded, prompting Time to continue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The trial...will be held in due time,” he said hesitantly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors smirked in a silent victory. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Twilight looked absolutely, heartbreakingly hopeful and terrified at the same time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time met his deputy’s eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t get your hopes up, kid. That bandit of your’s neck is going to be in a rope any day now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I’ll put it there for your sake, pup.</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild wasn’t expecting to get visitors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The past few days had been agonizingly silent, only broken by the rare conversation between himself and Wind. Neither wanted to talk about what was to come. Neither wanted to talk about the past or Flora or Legend or Aryll. So they just sat in silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One day the door of the jailhouse opened, and Wild was a bit confused. It wasn’t close to when he and Wind got their dinner. He sat in the corner of his cell, furthest away from the sun. He had picked up the hobby of braiding the damp pieces of straw on the floor of his cell. He left them by a crack in the wall where he had seen rats crawl in and out; they must like them, because the braids were always gone by morning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild looked up as a shadow fell across the cell, a glare at the ready. His fingers stalled on the piece of straw he was braiding, and he sat up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sun?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He remarked, nails digging into the grains of the cobblestone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun’s blue-gray eyes were wide as she knelt in front of the bars of the cell, grasping a wicker picnic basket tightly. She looked awfully out of place in the cold, dark, damp jail - the whites and florals of her dress and her bonnet were too bright and her skirts billowed up like sails as she sank to her knees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wild, oh, I was so scared they were starving you down here,” she fretted. “I brought you some food.” She opened her basket to reveal a full-course meal - bread, green beans, some bits of steak, fresh water. Wild’s mouth watered, but he immediately shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give it to Wind,” he said. “He needs it more.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sun glanced down at the cell next to Wild’s. “You can split it,” she insisted. “There’s enough for both of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild shook his head firmly. “Give it to Wind,” he said sharply. “He’s a kid. He needs it more than I do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Came Wind’s voice. “Give it to Wild. He needs to get strong so he can bust us out of here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild’s heart swelled. He turned back to Sun. “Give it to him,” he said, reaching through the bars and settling a hand on her arm. “I’m bound for the gallows anyways. He still has hope.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not so fast, my friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild looked up, eyes narrowing as Warriors stepped into view. Sun pursed her lips and stood, taking a few steps back. Ah, that was it. A setup.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild backed away from the bars as Warriors approached, hands behind his back. His expression was unreadable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not going to the gallows,” he said firmly. “In fact, you’re going to be walking out of this town an innocent man.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild scoffed, crossing his arms. “Yeah, right. You know how many men I’ve killed? Dozens. Maybe hundreds. I’ve robbed too many banks to count. I’ve burned down town after town. They call me the Burning Bandit for a reason. Arson is kind of my thing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors’ eye twitched. “You’ve only done two of those things here,” he said, shifting his weight. “Listen. Your </span>
  <em>
    <span>executioner</span>
  </em>
  <span> arrived here this morning. He’s the most feared man in the Gerudo Plains.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Fierce Deity,” Wild remarked. A shiver went up his spine. “That’s lovely. At least I’ll go out in style. Put that on my headstone: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Murdered By The Great Fierce Deity.</span>
  </em>
  <span> That’ll get me tourists-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wild, please,” Sun begged, clasping her hands together. “Warriors got Sheriff Time to agree to take you to court. Warriors offered to be your lawyer. He’s going to get you out of here; you’ll be free.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild looked between Sun and Warriors. They thought they could prove his innocence? It was going to take a lot more than just a trial and a city boy vouching that he was some sort of saint to do that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Scoffing a laugh, he shook his head. “No. That’ll never work. You have no idea what I’ve done. You have no idea who I am. You-” He paused. “Why are you even trying to defend me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors fiddled with the ring on his finger. “It’s for Twilight,” he admitted. “Wild, listen. I know that you only normally see him when he brings you meals, but he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>heartbroken.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I saw him earlier when Fierce Deity arrived - he was scared out of his wits. And not only from him being there. He doesn’t want you to die.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then why did he expose me?” Wild shot back. “If he cared so much about me, why did he rip my veil off my face and tie me down like an animal?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a knee-jerk reaction, Wild,” Sun piped up. “He’s been training to be a deputy for half of his life. He trusted you - he saw you steal his wedding ring - it was an action of anger. It would be like if I stole something you loved.” Her eyes were big. “Don’t you understand? He did that because he trusted you - and he still does. He hasn’t said it explicitly - I don’t think he wants to anger Sheriff Time, he already didn’t want the trial - but if he could, he would defend you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a deep breath but said no more. Sun stared at Wild with wide, pleading eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We just need your approval to go to court,” Warriors said. “Wild, you have a lot more people behind you than you realize. Half the town wants to see you walk free. They see you as that saloon girl - some of them may be narrow-minded about it, but as long as they’re on our side, it’s one more vote to let you go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild stared at Warriors. A man he didn’t even know, an almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>married</span>
  </em>
  <span> man, a rich man, was willing to go to court and fight and shout and vouch for his innocence when Wild had committed more heinous crimes than he could imagine. And Sun - she was just a banker’s daughter who lent him her home and hid his secret and protected him and wanted to keep doing that. His little mother hen. And who else could possibly vouch for him? Wild didn’t even know that many people here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That must be it - Warriors was tricking him into going to court so he could confess to all those crimes that these people didn’t even know he committed. They would try and make him tell where his friends were camped, and they would go and kill them and then kill Wild and Wind and then where would they be? In shallow graves for vultures and roadrunners and armadillos to dig up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opened his mouth to deny - and then he saw Wind’s pale hand stick out from his cell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wild, please,” he begged. “You gotta get out of here! At least you. Someone’s gotta make sure Aryll’s okay.” Wild could hear the tears in his voice. “And someone’s gotta make sure Flora doesn’t go try and steal more horses like she did that one time, and someone’s gotta make sure Legend doesn’t come back here to try and get that bartendress. You have to protect your </span>
  <em>
    <span>family,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Wild.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The way Wind’s voice cracked on the last sentence made Wild’s heart break. He looked back at Warriors and Sun. Sun’s face was scrunched up as if she was trying to stop from crying, and her fingers were laced together and pressed to her mouth, as if begging. Warriors was still fiddling with his ring, as if he was anxious about what Wild’s answer would be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He weighed his options. Go to court, possibly win the case and walk free back to Flora, Legend and Aryll. Or he could get accused of even more crimes and face a worse punishment. Don’t go to court, and get hung. Go to court, lose the trial, and get hung. Only one of them seemed like a plausible answer, and even then, it was a narrow shot. But Wild had always been good with his aim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then there was Twilight. Were Warriors and Sun even telling the truth about Twilight’s feelings? He had looked pretty sad that day he came down with Time to visit him - and his last words to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wild, they meant the world to me.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He had heard it from the deputy’s own mouth. He still cared about him. He was still on his side - possibly. Wild wasn’t going to count on that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wind goes free,” He said finally. He met Warriors’ eyes. “Wind goes free. When we win this case.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors grinned, and Sun sighed in relief. Wild crossed his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s my only condition,” he said. “You’ve stated yours. Wind and I walk free. No pursuers, no bounty hunters from his town on our tails. And we swear to never come back here again. Do we have an accord?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors held out his hand. “Aye.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They shook through the bars of Wild’s cage, and he couldn’t help but feel like he had just signed his will and testament. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry this took so long! school picked up but now I'm finally done and I have time to write! :) thank you for reading, and as always drop a comment letting me know if you enjoyed it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. you tell me it ain’t what it seems but baby this is lookin’ like a crime scene (8)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>the trial commences.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The gavel slammed down on the block, making Warriors wince. He glanced up at the judge’s bench to where Lullaby was sitting, looking tired and unimpressed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” she drawled. “Calling the case of the People of Hyrule Town versus Wild. Are both sides ready?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her icy gaze swept over the gathered assembly. Warriors flinched. He stood at the defendant table where Wild was seated, one hand curled into a fist on the table and the other tucked behind his back. Wild sat handcuffed to the table, shoulders slumped and eyes hooded. His hands were curled into fists. Warriors was a bit relieved that their backs were to the audience; he didn’t want Wild snapping at a civilian for a dirty look. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>On Warriors’ right stood Time at his table. He had stacks upon stacks of paper on the desk, which kind of freaked Warriors out. What kind of receipts did he have?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For the past three days, Warriors had been spending hours sitting on the jailhouse’s damp floor, building his case. With the help of Wild and input from Wind, he felt like he had made the best out of Wild’s dreary situation. Many nights were spent poring over his notes, making threadbare connections, and hoping against hope that the judge ould be swayed to his side. Artemis helped a lot with his wording, listening to him ramble as he walked back and forth across the floor, spewing nonsense. She would scribble down his thoughts as he talked, making sure not to miss a single word. A man’s life hung in the balance if she got even a single syllable wrong. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time cleared his throat and raised his chin. “Ready for the people, Your Honor,” he said. One finger tapped absently on the desk. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ready for the defense, Your Honor,” Warriors said immediately, nodding respectfully at Lullaby. She gave him a small nod in return before she set aside her gavel and looked at Time expectantly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors held his breath as Time tapped his papers against the desk to straighten them out before he began flipping through. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen assembled,” he began. “The defendant has been charged with multiple crimes, which include arson, kidnapping, robbery, breaking and entering, attempted first-degree murder, fraud, and impersonation. I shall be going more in-depth about all of these charges momentarily.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors muttered a curse under his breath. The handcuffs clanked as Wild moved his hands. Warriors was just going to have to dig his claws in later and hope to slide through the cracks of Time’s undoubtedly well-planned case. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time flicked a speck of dirt off of his papers. “For the charge of arson - all one has to do is look outside at the skeleton of a building that once was our jailhouse. That bandit attacked in the dead of night to try and free one of his own. Deputy Twilight informed me that Wild carried a pack of dynamite with him while he was atop the roof, planning on dropping into the flames to blow a hole into the jail below to free his companion.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time flipped a page. “On the charges of kidnapping, robbery, breaking and entering, and attempted first degree-murder - most of these crimes happened the day that these bandits threatened the bank. One of these bandits, who is not present, kidnapped Miss Marin and used her as a hostage to attempt to let them get away with the gold. The bandits, including Wild, robbed this bank of about three hundred and thirty dollars, and broke and entered the building to steal this money. Wild attempted first-degree murder on Miss Marin by threatening her with a gun.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Beginning to pace, Time’s gaze swept over Wild and Warriors scathingly. “Now onto the charges of fraud and impersonation.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Here we go,” Warriors heard Wild mumble. He pursed his lips, and his eyes darted over to Twilight, who was sitting with the other witnesses who would testify soon. His shoulders were hunched but he looked forward, a bit more resolve in him than in previous days. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time stopped near the witness’ stand. “Wild had been impersonating a young woman who frequented Mister Hyrule’s saloon and lied about his past and other important things about his life, hence the fraud,” Time said. “He was lying to gather information about our town and how to rob us.” His eye narrowed. “Despite already doing so in the past.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Running a hand through his hair, Time glanced back at his papers. “This may not account for a charge in court, but the accused has also traumatized my deputy. Profusely.” He gave Wild a glare loaded with poison. Wild seemed to bush up, but he didn’t say anything after Warriors put a hand on his arm in warning.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time went back over to his table and set down his papers. “I rest my case, your honor.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby sighed and rolled the gavel absentmindedly across her desk. “Very well, sheriff. The defense will now state their case.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors’ palms became sweaty as he stepped forward, holding the papers he would be reading off of tightly. He looked down at the mix of his and Artemis’ handwriting and found comfort in knowing at least one person was on his side. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen assembled,” he started. “I’m here for one reason: to prove that the accused is innocent. I start with this: Sheriff Time, with all due respect, you don’t know the full story.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time raised a questioning eyebrow but nodded slightly at Warriors for him to continue. Warriors took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and began.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mister Wild was condemned to life as a bandit and an outlaw at a young age, after his family died and he was forced to make a living for himself,” Warriors said, trying not to look at his papers for too long. “He knew how it felt to help raise a family and take care of others - for a time, he provided for himself and his younger sister until she died of scarlet fever three years after their parents died. He kept himself and his sister alive the best he could, and even in her final days kept her well-fed and comforted.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors cleared his throat. “After this, Wild was on his own. Over the years he found other outlaws and bandits also trying to live on their own after similar circumstances befell them. One of these bandits was a young boy named Wind, freshly ten years old, along with his younger sister. Wild adopted them into his group after their grandmother died and they had been fending for themselves for several months.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors fixed Time with a hard stare. “Wild is not stealing and committing arson for no reason. He’s doing it to provide for his family. You endangered a young boy who has little to no criminal actions to his name when you captured and imprisoned Wind. Your capture of Wind forced a nine-year-old girl to take up arms and fight for her brother’s freedom when she should have been far away from the conflict. None of these people - no, none of these </span>
  <em>
    <span>children</span>
  </em>
  <span> - should be in any way associated with criminal activities or outlaws!” His voice rose in volume and octaves as he continued, the paper creasing in his grip.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It is because of men like us that they are forced to take action such as this,” Warriors said with passion, putting a fist to his chest. “The upper class. The rich folks. The ones who turn away begging children from our doorstep simply because we can. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this as I made this case - thinking about all the times I took my good fortune and privilege for granted. There are more people than us who live from meal to meal, from robbery to robbery just so they can feed themselves. Having three meals a day is a privilege. Something we take for granted. Wild and his family doesn’t have that privilege. Put yourself in his shoes - wouldn’t you go to the greatest lengths to protect your family? The people you love the most? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yourself?!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors stopped himself before he could keep going. He risked a glance at the assembly. Most of their eyes were wide, startled by the passion and emotion Warriors put into his statement. Time looked thoughtful, hands folded against his mouth as he stared down at his desk. Twilight had his wolf pelt scrunched up against his cheeks, eyebrows knotted together.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors took a few steps backward to his desk. “Uh...now. Onto the charges.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He leaned back against the desk. “On the charge of arson, Wild was trying to free his comrade and brother figure Wind - although I give you credit that the method of attempting a jailbreak is risky and unlawful. However as a bandit, Wild thought that taking Wind by force was the only viable option. It was an act of desperation, but the only act Wild could take.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors tapped a finger against the desk. “On the charges of kidnapping, and first-degree murder…” Warriors was silent for a moment before looking back up at Time. “He didn’t commit them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time’s eyes narrowed and he sat up. The assembly murmured, confused.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors began to pace. “You said that Wild participated in the kidnapping of Miss Marin - incorrect. His comrade and fellow bandit Legend committed the crime, but you failed to point this out. Wild’s hands are clean in that offense. As of attempted first-degree murder, Wild held no weapon at the time - once again, Legend was the one actively threatening Miss Marin. You could have placed a charge of conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to attempt first-degree murder, as Wild told Legend to shoot Miss Marin, but you failed to do so.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors was getting confident. Time’s cheeks flushed and he returned to staring down at his desk, obviously flustered that he was proven wrong so easily.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The charges of breaking and entering, and robbery are also easy to discredit - Wild was committing an act of desperation. It was to provide for his family, nothing more. The money they stole would have provided them with food for many months to come.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And, onto fraud and impersonation…” Warriors glanced down at his notes, tempted to use them for reference - but he set them back down onto the desk and opted to put his hands on his hips. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not possible to charge Wild with impersonation. He was not impersonating any one person - he never gave anyone a name. Impersonation could be charged if he impersonated, say, Miss Sun or Miss Marin, but he never did. Also, Wild never outright said that he was dressing as a lass to do anything malicious or criminal. You have no evidence of a charge of fraud.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors took a deep breath. He glanced at Time, then looked back at Wild. His hands were curled into fists and he was looking down at the desk. After a moment, he looked up, and Warriors was surprised to see that his eyes were glossy. He gave Warriors a small nod.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors’ hand fell back down onto the table. “I rest my case, your honor.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby looked surprised, and she nodded at Warriors and Wild with something like respect. “Very well. We shall begin interviewing the witnesses.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The assembly murmured as Sun rose to her feet and walked with purpose to the center of the room. She put her hand on the Hyrule Historia and swore to tell nothing but the truth and only the truth before she stepped onto the witness stand. She didn’t look a bit afraid - she wore a hat with feathers as if mimicking the feathers Wild used to wear in the saloon and a dress of deep orange and gold. This girl was no bit fearful of being judged by the town for testifying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby tapped her gavel against the block to quiet the assembly. “Alright, Miss Sun. Shall we start at your time with housing Wild in your home?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun nodded. “Yes. I first invited Wild to stay with me about a week after he first began appearing at the saloon - I learned that he simply slept in the back room overnight. I offered him some of my dresses, still unaware of his true identity. I arranged a pallet on the floor he could sleep on, but I offered to let him sleep in my bed. We would stay up late and talk a lot.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you talk about?” Lullaby questioned.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun tapped her hand against the stand. “Honestly? Boys.” She laughed. “I would talk about Sky, and he would talk about a sweetheart he had back home.” Her eyes were bright. “I’m sure he’s still telling the truth about them, no matter who they are. That was one thing he never lied to me about.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, when did Wild tell you his true identity?” Lullaby asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It was about a week and a half after he began staying with me,” Sun said. “It was late one night. He said, ‘Sun, can I tell you something? You gotta swear not to say it to anybody, not until I leave this town. Swear on your life.’ And I did. Right there. I swore I would never tell anybody anything that we said that night. And he told me how he was a boy and how he was that bandit, whatever nasty name you call him. He told me why he was doing it, and he cried. I felt so bad - he was just trying to provide for his family-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean, ‘why he did it?’” Lullaby said suddenly. Her eyes narrowed. “You mean to say that he was trying to provide for his family while posing as a saloon girl? Was he paid for this job? What was he doing as a saloon girl in the first place?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun seemed to freeze, and her cheeks flushed - she realized her mistake. Her ears tipped down and she glanced over at Warriors. He nodded encouragingly, even though inside he was cursing - why hadn’t Wild told him this? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Um-” Sun suddenly lost her confidence. “He...he said that he was posing as a saloon girl to figure out the best way to free Wind and to find the best way to rob the bank.” She shrunk into herself. “I don’t know if he was paid for working there. I’m sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby nodded. “Very well. We already have a firsthand account of what happened at the saloon the day that Wild was unmasked from Sky, so your testimony is over. Thank you for your cooperation.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun’s gaze fell on Sky, seated in the assembly, and her face scrunched up as if she was trying not to cry. She stepped off of the stand and hurried back to where the witnesses sat, sitting close to Marin as the other girl wrapped an arm around her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors chewed the inside of his lip. Sun’s testimony was supposed to help them - but he forced himself not to get angry. It was a mistake. One that couldn’t be taken back now. He bit his cheek and sat back down, crossing his legs and pressing a fist to his mouth in thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight was timid as he took the stand, but he still looked almost as brave as Sun as he nodded respectfully at Lullaby after he swore on the Historia. Lullaby began by asking him what happened on top of the jailhouse that night.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The jailhouse…” Twilight murmured, glancing to the side. He looked like he didn’t want to be up there. Like he didn’t want to testify against Wild. He pursed his lips. Warriors could tell what he was thinking - he swore on the Historia, and lying in court was a criminal offense.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wild threatened to burn down the whole town,” Twilight said slowly. “He said that if he dropped the dynamite he held into the flames, the explosion would carry over onto the other buildings. I had to stop him before he destroyed the whole town. I managed to get the dynamite away from him and I threw it over the side, so he couldn’t get to it. Then he attacked me - we fought on the roof for a while, until I pinned him down. The beam we were standing on was going to fall, but I didn’t want to kill him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Did he say anything while you had him pinned down?” Lullaby asked gently.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight thought for a moment. “I told him to surrender,” he said. “But he said that they weren’t leaving without Wind. I wanted to let him go - I didn’t want to kill him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And you still don’t,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Warriors thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He told me that if we gave him Wind, they would leave and never come back,” He said. “I don’t remember much after that - until Wild pushed on the beam and made us fall into the flames.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight rubbed his cheek as if remembering the burn he had there. “He was hurt, I remember. And his bandana had fallen off, so I got a good look at his face. That’s how I was able to identify him when I unmasked him in the saloon. Then his Zora friend came in and brought him out and caused a beam to fall on my legs.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that it?” Lullaby asked. “Is that all that happened?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight nodded. “Yes, your honor,” he said in a small voice. “Yes, that’s it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby sighed. “Now, Deputy Twilight, what made you unmask Wild that day at the saloon?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight’s hands curled into fists. “He was stealing money and my wedding ring from my coat pocket,” he said, his eyebrows curving together. “It was hanging on the coat tree by the door. The money, I carry around in case I need it. My wedding ring - it was from a failed marriage.” He coughed and shifted uncomfortably. “My fiance left me at the altar, but I keep the ring, for, um - sentimental value.” Red dusted his cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors caught Lullaby’s small eye roll. “Very well. One more question - Sheriff Time told me that he left you and Wild alone to talk in the jailhouse after Wild was arrested. What did you two speak about?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight tensed - private information, Warriors guessed. Something he didn’t want to be public. But he took a deep breath.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wild asked me if I wanted to say sorry,” he said. “For causing him to get arrested. He was being self-centered. He called me childish. It was - it was nothing of value.” The sadness in Twilight’s dark eyes told a different story. Something happened in the jailhouse that he didn’t want to include. Personal information. Important to Twilight, but not to the case.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby sighed. “Alright. Thank you, Deputy Twilight.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight returned to his seat - but cast Wild a forlorn, desperate glance as he passed. Wild sent a glare his way instead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The third and final witness was Marin, who told about her experiences with Wild working at the saloon. “He was a great worker,” she said. “He didn’t want to get paid - Hyrule and I both tried to pay him multiple times, but he always turned it down. I would have forced that money into his hands if I knew why he was there. No little boys and girls should ever starve just because of the circumstances they’ve been placed in.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Marin’s testimony was short and sweet, to the point. Lullaby tapped her gavel to the block after Marin sat down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I call a brief recess as I decide the charges against Wild,” she said. The defense and the prosecution must stay in the room. The witnesses may leave.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The assembly broke up, most of them murmuring anxiously about what would happen. Warriors caught a bit of their conversation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“He still seems guilty to me. He attacked Deputy Twilight and burned down the jailhouse!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That Mr. Warriors did offer up a mighty good case, though. He contradicted nearly every charge, and that opening statement was so moving!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors leaned close to Wild. “Well? What do you think?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wild was quiet for a moment. “You did a great job with your defense, I gotta give ya that,” Wild admitted. “Sun did kind of dig our own grave.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors shrugged. “I mean, I doubt the sentence for fraud is the death sentence. I say even if you get jailed for a few years, it’s better than a rope around your neck.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wild laughed, leaning back in his chair as far as his handcuffs would let him. “Yeah, I guess so. Is the deal that Wind goes free still in place?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors nodded. “As far as I know. I’m pretty sure that it’s part of the plea deal.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two were quiet for the next few minutes, waiting for Lullaby to get back from where she disappeared into the judge’s chambers. At last, she returned, sitting down at her stand. The assembly rushed back to their seats, eager to hear the verdict.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby slammed the gavel down. Warriors’ hands were shaking. Wild’s knuckles were white. Twilight was buried in his wolf pelt as if he couldn’t bear to hear the sentence. Sun was curled into Marin’s side, staring at Lullaby with fear.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I, the standing jury for this case, find the defendant Wild, charged with crimes of impersonation, fraud, arson, kidnapping, attempted first-degree murder, breaking and entering, and robbery…” She glanced down at her notes as if making sure she was saying the right thing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors held his breath. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please please please please, please-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Guilty.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The world fell out from under Warriors’ feet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had failed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby continued over the cries of alarm and disbelief bubbling up from the crowd. “The defendant, Wild, is guilty of all crimes, including added charges of conspiracy of kidnapping and conspiracy of first-degree murder, as brought up by Mister Warriors. His sentence is that of death, where he will be hung by the neck until dead.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun was sobbing into Marin’s side, wailing. Time looked unfazed, gathering up his papers and standing, tapping them into a neat stack. But Twilight - he looked as if he may be in shock. His eyes were wide and he hadn’t moved, his wolf pelt still bunched in his fists and around his ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes were glittering with tears. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lullaby sighed as she tapped the block with her gavel. “The execution is scheduled for tomorrow at dawn. Dismissed.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just like that - one word and Wild was a dead man tomorrow at dawn, this would all be over. All of Warriors’ hard work, down the drain. Countless hours spent by candlelight, scribbling incoherent thoughts and hoping they made sense when he woke up the next day. His own mistakes were going to end a man’s life.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He turned slowly to look at Wild. He looked angry - no doubt at Warriors, who had failed to keep him safe. He had failed to protect him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wild,” Warriors choked out. “I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wild shook his head, still white-knuckled. “They didn’t free Wind,” he growled. “They didn’t keep the </span>
  <em>
    <span>goddamn deal</span>
  </em>
  <span> to free Wind.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>goodbye.............i am now killed by user lush_hell</p>
<p>note to self spaghetti western soundtracks are a good way to write well</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. even when i loose my head, guillotine (9)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Twilight has to face the consequences.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SURPRISE! apparently some sort of inspiration god gifted me with a hyper rush of inspo for this chapter and I managed to write most of this in an HOUR AND A HALF. WHAT. i digress, it IS a rather short chapter, but it hits all points. enjoy and beware the finale fast approaching!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Wild!” Wind’s voice called cheerfully from down in the depths of the jailhouse. “Wild! Did you win?! I just know you won! Mister Warriors is so smart! Did you get me out too? How did all my contributions for the case go? Did you mention Aryll?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wild didn’t reply as Wind rattled off question after question. He felt heavy. How on earth was he going to let Wind know their fate? That Wild would be dead by morning and Wind would be left to rot in this prison for the rest of his life?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was no way Time would let Warriors take Wind to court - he was too young and there was no point. Wind would lose and either get life in prison or death either way. It was simply too biased. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky, who had taken Warriors’ place as Wild’s escort, was gentle as he led Wild down the damp hallway to his cell. Wild couldn’t see his face clearly in the dark. But he was almost sure he wasn’t glaring or scowling as he gently nudged Wild into his cell and closed the door behind him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wild wrapped his hands around the bars. “Why did you give Time information?” He asked quietly. “You knew Sun would be testifying. You gave her account less weight.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky looked forlorn as he fiddled with the keys. “It was what was right for the law,” he said softly. “The law and - and what’s right come before anything else.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky left, his footsteps echoing on the stone. It faded into echoes until there was only the sound of the door slamming behind him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wild?” Wind’s voice piped up again. “How did the trial go?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wild was silent. He leaned against the wall, trying to craft a soft and slow way to break the news to Wind. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...Wild?” Wind said again, his voice small. “Wild, please tell me. Even if it’s bad, please tell me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wild pressed a hand over his eyes. His eyes burned. He was going to start crying. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He heard Wind’s sobs mere moments later. “Wild, what’s going to happen to me?” He asked. He didn’t even need Wild’s confirmation. He knew - he knew Wild wasn’t making it out of here alive. The was a rattle as Wind leaned against the cell bars. “Wild, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what’s going to happen to me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Wild blurted, on the verge of tears. “I don’t know, Wind. I don’t know. I don’t know.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Wind sobbed. He hiccuped and sniffled uncontrollably. “Wild, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You told me you’d get me back to Riri.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Wild said through gritted teeth as the tears slid down his face. “I’m sorry, Wind, I failed. I failed you. I failed.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He saw Wind’s hand slide out from his cell to wave in Wild’s view. Wild was crying as he crawled over, reaching awkwardly through the bars to grasp the boy’s hand. Wind held his hand tightly with white knuckles as if he could protect Wild from what was coming.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s gonna be okay, Wild,” Wind choked. “It’ll be just like in the stories - someone will come and save us just in the knick of time. Just you watch. We’ll be okay.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wild knew Wind was speaking nonsense. Real-life was nothing like fairy tales. There were no knights in shining armor or magical fairy to sweep you away from danger at the last second. Wild learned that the hard way. When he was still a child - younger than Wind - he had thought some miraculous savior would come and save his sister. But they never came, and his sister was dead, in a shallow grave, somewhere on the side of a dusty road with nothing but a rock and a shirt tied to a stick wedged underneath showing where she lay. No doubt wolves had already gotten to it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The reality was nothing like the stories that grown-ups told their children. The reality was dark and damning and horrible. Wild learned that when he lost Ari, his baby sister, his sunshine on rainy days. He learned then not to take things for granted, to put effort into protecting the ones he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> have. Surprisingly, it was an easy lesson to learn.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wind hadn’t had anything like that happen. His grandma was dead, but little Aryll - if Wind had lost her instead, he may have learned the same lesson Wild had. That reality was cruel, and the rose-tinted glasses had been broken long before the boys took their first breaths of life.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They sat in sniveling silence for a long time, sobbing and hiccuping in the dark, waiting for morning, where their judgment hung with the sun. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>//</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You fulfilled your promise,” Twilight said softly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time rapped on the desk a little, sending Twilight a grin. “Indeed I did. Those bandits won’t be bothering us after tomorrow morning. I’ll have to send for Fierce Deity to arrange the gallows be set up, goddess, they haven’t been used in years-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going to happen to Wind?” Twilight said in a small voice.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced up at Time from where he had been staring at his shoes. It was still afternoon, the rays of the sun beating into his back as he stood facing Time’s desk in front of the window. He picked at a fingernail, his eyebrows curving up.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time looked surprised. “Wind? The kid? I dunno. Lullaby didn’t say anything about whatever plea deal he may have had. For all I know he’ll be hung for being associated with Wild and the other bandits. His whole group is wanted dead or alive, anyways.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight’s eyes stretched wide. “You’re - you’re going to kill a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time sighed and picked up his cigar from where it lay in his ashtray. “Listen, pup, I don’t want to do it any more than you do. Do you think I </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to kill </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>? This is just my job. Those bandits - all of them - are wanted all across the Plains. Dead or alive.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, dead or </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Twilight hissed desperately, putting his hands on the table. “At least spare Wind - he’s a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He probably doesn’t know any better. He’s doing this to provide for his sister.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Twilight, it doesn’t matter what he’s doing for his sister!” Time said angrily, scraping a match against the table and holding the flame to the cigar. “What he’s doing is illegal, no matter the motive. Same for Wild. I know you fancy them because of Wild-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Time, just-” Twilight stabbed his fingers through his hair. “You don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>understand</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What? What do I not understand, Twilight?” Time said, his volume rising. He stood, easily towering over Twilight. “Tell me what I’m missing here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight pressed his lips together and balled his fists at his sides. “Motive is everything, Time!” Twilight cried. “Do you think - do you think that my fiance left me at the altar for </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>? No, she left because she was-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need you whining about your petty love story in my office!” Time roared, suddenly taking up the whole room with my voice. “Now go and make yourself damn useful and tell Fierce Deity to start preparations!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight stared at Time in fear. He had never seen this side of his sheriff before - it was terrifying. He was suddenly hyper-aware of how strong Time was - he had snapped his cigar in half as he stood, and it lay smoldering on his desk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Feeling himself begin to tremble, Twilight stormed out of Time’s office without a word. He scrunched up his face - Time had rattled him badly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Stepping outside into the hot sunlight, Twilight leaned against the wall of the sheriff’s department and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth. He forced down his tears as his mind whirled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The last thing he wanted was for Wild and Wind to die. Time was right - Twilight </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> like Wild too much. Throughout the whole trial, he had been praying for the innocent sentence - so that the bandits could walk free, go back to providing for their family. Hell, if he could, he would have testified in their defense. But all his information was damning - Wild hadn’t told him anything of value he could have used in their favor anyway. Goddess, if he could just help them in some way-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His hand dropped to his side and he stood straight up. His blue eyes flashed with the sudden realization that his brain had finally clicked together.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight knew what had to be done - it was not particularly what he wanted to do, but he knew it was the right thing. It just felt right.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He would not go to Fierce Deity where he was staying at the inn to tell him to set up the gallows. No, Twilight would not visit the terrifying man until much later that night, and only then it was a note slipped under his door as Twilight hurried to make arrangements.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a scheme that would take a madman to throw into action - luckily, Twilight knew exactly the one he was looking for.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>//</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The mountains stand against the strongest winds, and the oceans wash over the fiercest drought,” Four said in a shocked tone, looking up from his work. “But man is the first to fall when the thunder strikes.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight shook his head as Four poured the molten metal into a mold, clapping it shut and setting it aside. He was surprised at the purpose with which Four moved, but what could he say - he was an experienced blacksmith. He should have suspected as such.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen,” Twilight insisted. “You’re the only person in this whole town who would know where to find poison. And I need it by tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The goddess never questions her servants' actions,” Four said snidely as he hauled another cast into place. “For she is a silent one. However, those servants are her opposites.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight sighed. “If you’re asking why I need it, I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. I can’t trust anyone but myself with this information.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Concerning the witch?” Four asked, pulling the cast open and giving Twilight a look.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Flushing, Twilight stiffened. “Wild is not a witch,” he said. “And again, it’s none of your business. I’ll pay you good money if you can find me what I need.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four looked up from tending his furnace, eyes widening a little. “A price for a life?” He asked, walking back over and leaning over his anvil to peer into Twilight’s face. “Life is priceless. What say you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight met his gaze. “Whatever you want that’s within my reach. Please, Four, whatever you need.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four seemed to pause, and go deep into thought. Then he looked back up at Twilight, a new resolve written in his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Drinks,” he whispered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight blinked. “What?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four reached out and grabbed Twilight’s arms. “Drinks,” he said softly. “Drinks. They are what makes them come back.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight gently grabbed Four’s hands and pushed them away. “Okay. Okay, I’ll - I’ll get you some. As much as I can get.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four’s face broke out into a smile and he threw his hands around Twilight from over the anvil. Twilight squeaked in surprise but didn’t move to push him away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four pulled back and went over to the casting he had been working on before, cracking it open with a hammer and beginning to pry the cooled bullets out, still smoking hot.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever you seek,” Four said gleefully, “thou shall receive.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>//</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You want me to </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Sun gasped, her gloved hands flying to her mouth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shush!” Twilight hissed, grabbing her hands and darting his gaze around. The evening was beginning to fall, and the saloon was slowly filling up with guests. Marin already had a full bar, and Hyrule was sorting his piano music. Twilight only hoped that the noise would drown out their conversation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen,” he whispered, leaning close to her. She leaned in as well, her blue eyes wide. She was still wearing her clothes from the trial - mimicking that of Wild’s old saloon dresses. Twilight thought she looked great in it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I need you to do this for me,” he said. “It’s for Wild and Wind. You want to save them, don’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun nodded vigorously, squeezing his hand. “Of course! Of course, I do! Wild is like a brother to me. I’ll never forgive Time for condemning him to that noose.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight winced. “Okay, well, then I need you to do this for me. You’re the only person I can trust. You’re an amazing rider, too - I’m sure you can do this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun drew her hands back to herself. “But - what if I’m not back in time? What if I get lost or something?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t,” Twilight assured her. “I’m going to give you precise directions to where you need to go, okay? Follow them to the letter, and you can’t go wrong. You can do this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He slid a paper across the table, containing all of the information she’d need. She took it hesitantly, as if unsure. “Are you - are you sure it should be me?” she asked softly. “Why can’t you go?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I have to execute the rest of the plan here,” Twilight said. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Trust me.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You’re just a harmless girl riding alone at night, delivering an important message. They have no reason to shoot you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun paled but nodded. “Okay. Okay. I can do this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight nodded, a large weight lifted off of his shoulders. “Thank you, Sun. You’re a good woman. I’ll leave a horse outside of my house for you. Untie it and ride like hell.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sun furrowed her brow in concentration. “Yes, deputy,” she said firmly. “I won’t let you down.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>//</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After Twilight dropped off the letter to Fierce Deity, he slid back into the sheriff’s department at around seven. Most everyone had gone to the saloon to either celebrate or mourn the trial - including Time. Which meant Twilight was free to execute his plan all by himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could only hope that Sun was already on her way - or else help would never arrive in time. He ignored how much his hands shook and how sweaty his palms were as he worked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight walked a tightrope, and the rope was Wild’s noose.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i admit, this chapter is a bit shitty. i could have made it longer, but alas, it's 11:30 at night and I have cheer camp next week which means not nearly enough time as I'd like to write. so I'm trying to get out these chapters as fast as I can before I disappear back into the void.</p>
<p>I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I honestly can't believe that next chapter is...well, the end. I'll save the sentiment for the notes on that chapter, though. thank you all for supporting me so much throughout this whole journey. see you in the finale. :) &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>